Madonna University, Elele Campus in Rivers State, has expelled a final-year nursing student and suspended 14 others following a viral TikTok video that showed students dancing in hospital settings. The disciplinary action has sparked criticism and calls for reconsideration from student bodies.
Viral TikTok Video Leads to Expulsion and Suspensions
The student, identified only as Mercy, was expelled after appearing in the opening segment of the video. The 14 other 500-level nursing students involved received suspension letters. The video, reportedly uploaded in August 2026, featured students dancing in various locations, including a hospital waiting area, staircase, corridor, and inside a bus on the university premises.
The clip was part of the "Gen Z nurses" challenge, a social-media trend where healthcare workers and nursing students record dance videos in clinical settings. The video carried the Pidgin caption, "No fall sick o, na Gen Z full hospital now," and gained widespread attention after being circulated by social-media blogs. A 15-second version shared by Yabaleftonline on X on September 1 reportedly amassed over 1.7 million views. The original TikTok account was subsequently made private.
University Confirms Video Location, Prepares Official Response
Chima Achu, the university's Director of Communications and Public Affairs, confirmed that the video was recorded inside the institution's teaching hospital. Achu told reporters that the university was preparing an official response. "We're preparing a response that'll go out on Monday; of course there'll be an official position by the university," he said.
The disciplinary action has triggered calls for the university to reconsider the expulsion, particularly because the affected student was in her final year. Medical influencer and TikTok creator Nurse Girma, who highlighted the sanctions, appealed to the university to show clemency. He said he initially believed the people in the video were practising nurses but changed his view after learning they were students. "I know what has happened has happened, but I want to appeal to the school to temper justice with mercy; when it came to me that she is a 500-level student, it really melted my heart," Girma said.
NANS and NUNSA Call for Review of Sanctions
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also appealed to Madonna University to reconsider the punishment. NANS President Akinteye Babatunde Afeez acknowledged that the students' conduct was inappropriate and did not reflect the discipline and professionalism expected of nursing students. However, he argued that expulsion was too severe, especially at the final stage of their training. "Expulsion is, by far, a grave punishment. Beyond the immediate academic consequences, it can fundamentally alter the course of a young person's life," Afeez said.
Afeez added that the students had invested years, resources, and hopes into pursuing nursing careers and urged the university to replace the expulsion with a stern warning. "Therefore, we appeal to the compassion and clemency of the Management of Madonna University to please save their future and give them a second chance," he said.
The Nigerian Universities Nursing Students' Association (NUNSA) has also joined the calls for the sanctions to be reviewed. The association said it had begun discussions with relevant stakeholders and the university management to secure a fair resolution. "Our primary objective is to seek a fair, just, and favourable resolution by adequately representing the interests and welfare of the affected students," NUNSA said.
Mixed Reactions and Alternatives Proposed
The reaction to the sanctions has been mixed. Some people defended the university's decision, arguing that nursing students should understand professional standards and the sensitivity of filming entertainment content in a hospital environment. Others questioned whether expulsion was proportionate to the offence. Some critics suggested alternatives such as suspension, withholding results for a period, or community service instead of expulsion.
For now, what has been confirmed is that one 500-level nursing student was expelled and 14 others were suspended following the viral video, while student bodies including NANS and NUNSA are calling for the sanctions to be reconsidered.
