A Christchurch nurse has serious burns after a mental health patient threw boiling water at her. Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) mental health services general manager Toni Gutschlag said the incident happened in Hillmorton Hospital’s acute inpatient unit on Monday. The unit is a facility for adults with mental illness who require 24-hour nursing care. Gutschlag said the nurse was “doing well” and was in a comfortable condition. The CDHB and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation are working on a project to reduce the risk of violence against nurses. “The project aims to address assaults and threats, and is looking at ways to … prevent, de-escalate and manage aggressive behaviour,” Gutschlag said. “No level of violence towards staff, patients, or anyone else is acceptable.”
