Outrage As Madonna University Expels 500-Level Nursing Student, Suspends 14 Others Over Hospital TikTok Dance

There is outrage on social media after Madonna University, Elele in Rivers State expelled a 500-level nursing student and suspended 14 others for participating in a viral TikTok dance video.

The affected students are final year nursing students who took part in the trending Gen Z nurses challenge where health workers dance in clinical environments.

The expelled student, identified simply as Mercy, was the one who appeared at the beginning of the video dancing in a hospital corridor. She reportedly received her expulsion letter this week.

In the video, the students were seen dancing in a hospital waiting area, on the staircase and inside a campus bus. The video carried a caption in Pidgin English saying, No fall sick o, na Gen Z full hospital now.

Findings show the video was recorded inside the Elele campus of Madonna University and uploaded on TikTok in August. It went viral in early September after popular blogs reposted it. One version posted on X by Yabaleftonline on September 1 has now crossed 1.7 million views.

Following the backlash, the TikTok page that posted the video has been made private.

The university’s decision was first made public by a medical influencer, Nurse Girma, who posted a video on Friday confirming that the senate had expelled one student and suspended 14 others. He appealed to the university to show mercy, saying the student is in her final year.

Reactions have been divided. While some people said the students disrespected the nursing profession and violated the rules of a faith-based university, others said expulsion is too extreme for a dance video.

A TikTok user argued that the school should have punished them with community service or withholding results for a year instead of destroying years of effort, school fees and clinical training.

Two major student bodies have now intervened. The Nigerian Universities Nursing Students Association said it has started high-level talks with relevant stakeholders to seek a fair resolution for the affected students.

The National Association of Nigerian Students also appealed to Madonna University to temper justice with mercy and replace the expulsion with a warning letter.

The Director of Communications of Madonna University, Chima Achu, when contacted by PUNCH, said the institution will release an official statement on the matter on Monday.

Madonna University is the first private Catholic university in West Africa with campuses in Elele, Rivers State, Okija in Anambra and Akpugo in Enugu.