Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, has expelled a final-year nursing student identified as Mercy and suspended 14 other 500-level students over a viral TikTok video.
The video showed the students dancing in a hospital waiting area, staircase and bus as part of the “Gen Z nurses” social media trend.
Mercy reportedly appeared in the opening seconds of the video, dancing in a hospital hallway. She was said to have received her expulsion letter during the week.
The video, which was uploaded in August, featured a Pidgin caption that read, “No fall sick o, na Gen Z full hospital now.”
A 15-second version shared by Yabaleftonline on September 1 had attracted more than 1.7 million views on X by Saturday.
The video was filmed on the university’s Elele campus and later attracted criticism from healthcare professionals and social media users who questioned the appropriateness of dancing in clinical settings.
Medical influencer and TikTok creator, Nurse Girma, drew attention to the video and appealed to the university to reconsider the sanctions.
Girma said the university Senate had expelled the student who owned the account and suspended other students involved in the video.
He also appealed for clemency after learning that the students were undergraduates and that Mercy was a 500-level nursing student.
The disciplinary action has generated mixed reactions online.
Some social media users supported the university’s decision, arguing that the students breached institutional rules and were close to becoming registered nurses.
Others described the punishment as excessive, arguing that the students had spent years on their education and clinical training.
The National Executive Council of the Nigerian Universities Nursing Students’ Association said it had begun discussions with relevant authorities to seek a review of the sanctions.
NUNSA said its objective was to secure a “fair, just, and favourable resolution” for the affected students.
The National Association of Nigerian Students also appealed to Madonna University to reconsider the expulsion and issue a stern warning instead.
NANS President, Akinteye Afeez, said expulsion at such an advanced stage could have lasting effects on the students’ education and future careers.
Meanwhile, Madonna University’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chima Achu, said the institution would issue an official statement on the matter on Monday.
