Victoria's nurses have won pay increases of up to 21 per cent and will maintain current nurse-to-patient ratios following an agreement struck with the state government and hospitals after a bitter nine-month dispute.



Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick told a packed meeting of nurses and midwives in Melbourne on Friday that the nurses had emerged from negotiations with much more of what they wanted than what the government wanted.



The resolution will include pay increases of between 14 and 21 per cent over four years, no health assistants, no split shifts and a maintenance of nurse-patient ratios, which was one of the sticking points in the dispute.



The dispute had dragged on for more than nine months.



Last week, the government agreed to the nurses' demand for an independent umpire on the condition that they stop industrial action.



The ANF, the government and employer group the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association had committed to reaching an outcome by Friday.



The negotiations took place under the watch of an independent Fair Work Australia (FWA) tribunal member.



The union had been seeking a pay rise of 18.5 per cent over three years and eight months and maintenance of current nurse-to-patient ratios.



The government's public sector wages policy is 2.5 per cent annual pay rises, with any extra gains offset by productivity measures.



Police struck a deal with the government last year for a pay rise of about 19 per cent over four years.



Ms Fitzpatrick said the ANF would return to Fair Work Australia at 4pm on Wednesday, when she hoped the draft enterprise bargaining agreement would be signed off so it could then go out to members for a vote.



AAP