The parents of a patient allegedly attacked a nurse on Tuesday at a hospital in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

The Nanjing Stomatological Hospital nurse, Chen Xingyu, placed a male patient who was under general anesthesia in a room with the only bed available on Monday night - a room designated for female patients.

Though he was transferred to another room on Tuesday, the parents of a female patient placed in the same room rushed to the hospital after receiving a call from their daughter that morning. A dispute with the nurse eventually led to the attack.

The nurse Chen was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury and was sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. A doctor at the hospital was scratched by the patient's parents.

Police are investigating the attack.