UPDATED 11.36am The mother of a Christchurch nurse attacked while walking to work has spoken out about her daughter’s ordeal saying she’s “shocked” at the hospital’s response.

The nurse was approached by a man wearing a Halloween mask around 6am on Saturday near Riccarton Ave.

Despite police reports suggesting the offender pointed the gun at the back of her head, her mother said it was pressed into her daughter's back, before she screamed, causing the man to run off towards Deans Ave.

The mother, who Newstalk ZB has agreed not to name, said her daughter wasn’t physically harmed, but is struggling to cope and has moved out of Christchurch to stay with family while she recovers. 

She said she was disappointed at Canterbury District Health Board CEO David Meate’s response, when he appeared on Chris Lynch Mornings to discuss the attack and the lack of safe carparks for staff.

The interview was live streamed on Facebook. 

“I couldn’t believe what I was watching. It felt like he was playing down the situation” the mother said.

"We were particularly shocked at his response to the wellbeing of our daughter.”

She said her daughter hasn’t heard from Mr Meates but has received support from other hospital management and had been offered time off work.  

A hospital spokeswoman says the CDHB’s CEO did express serious concern about the attack, and is reassuring his staff he is concerned by this incident and for the nurse’s wellbeing.

During Monday’s interview, Mr Meates commended the nurse for “doing all the right things” but admitted concerns over the lack of staff carparks wasn’t going to get better in the short term.

“We’ve just become aware there’s another 137 onsite car parks that’s about to go in the next couple of weeks.”  

There are plans for a hospital carpark "some time in 2019.” 

The size and scope is yet to be worked out by the working group involved in the hospital redevelopment.

Mr Meates told Chris Lynch “we’ve been signalling since 2012 that we’re going to have major car-parking issues in and around the Christchurch hospital site.”

He said the hospital is shifting about 20,000 visitors and patients per month with the CDHB’s park and ride service.

One solution was to offer a similar service to hospital staff.

Mr Meates said the CDHB is looking at a nearby location, with about 240 carpark spaces, to help ease the pressure.

He said there are roaming patrols in the afternoon and evening to meet the needs of staff.

Mr Meates said the biggest challenge for staff and visitors was in the day time with six major construction projects happening around the hospital site. In addition, there’s over 1000 contractors working in and around the area.

The nurse’s mother said she hopes the attack on her daughter prompts the CDHB into meaningful action.

“She is a wonderful dedicated nurse who loves her job, but sadly this event is going to make it so difficult for her to return to work. 

“As parents we’re anxious about her returning to work. We’re still coming to grips with our daughter’s attack, knowing the outcome could have been much worse.”

Senior sergeant Vaughn Lapse said: “At this stage, this is being treated as an isolated incident and officers are focused on catching the man responsible.” 

The offender is described as slim with dark hair, under 160 cm tall, and aged in his 30s or 40s. He was wearing a baggy grey hoodie, dark trousers and a beige Halloween-type mask, and was carrying what appeared to be a small dark-coloured firearm.