“Pun!shment Should Correct, Not Destroy”- Mother Kicks Against Madonna University Nursing Student’s Expulsion

A Nigerian mother has criticised Madonna University over the expulsion of a final-year nursing student and the suspension of 14 others for allegedly recording a dance video inside a hospital.

The students were reportedly sanctioned after filming the video in a hospital waiting area while dressed in their nursing uniforms.

Reacting to the incident in a video, the woman acknowledged that the students acted improperly by creating the content within a hospital environment.

According to her, nursing is a highly professional field, and students are expected to understand the responsibility that comes with wearing a nursing uniform.

She also took issue with the caption reportedly used for the video, which read, “No Fall Sick Na Gen Z Full Hospital.”

The mother said the caption could be disturbing to patients and may create the impression that people seeking medical attention had little hope of receiving proper care.

“That content is not warming. It’s not welcoming especially for the patients,” she said.

While she agreed that the students should face disciplinary action, she questioned the decision to expel one of them, describing the punishment as excessive.

“Do I agree with the punishment? The expulsion is too harsh,” she stated.

She noted that the affected student had already reached the final year of a programme that required several years of study, payment of school fees and clinical training.

“For a final year student, sleepless nights, school fees for five years, clinic has gone. Just like that. For a first time offence and it’s a dance video,” she said.

The woman wondered if the university could have considered counselling, suspension or other corrective measures instead of expulsion, particularly since there was no report of a patient being harmed.

“No patient was harmed. No drugs were stolen. What does counselling say? Punishment should correct and not destroy,” she added.

She also supported the National Association of Nigerian Nursing Students’ reported appeal for the university to reconsider the expulsion and issue a warning instead.

Describing the request as reasonable, she urged the institution to replace the expulsion with a heavy suspension and allow the student an opportunity to learn from the incident.

According to her, the students should not be shielded from the consequences of their actions, but the punishment should also provide room for correction and rehabilitation.

She further called on universities to use the incident to educate students about responsible social media use, suggesting that digital ethics should become part of academic training.

The mother noted that young people who frequently engage with online trends may sometimes struggle to recognise where social media behaviour crosses professional boundaries.

“These Gen Z students, they don’t know boundary between trend and professional,” she said.

In conclusion, she maintained that the students deserved disciplinary action for their conduct but argued against ending the academic journey of a final-year student over the incident.

“Is expulsion justifiable? No. Is discipline needed? Yes,” she said.

"That message of theirs is like frightening a patient. Their message is not welcoming, especially for patients. Do I agree with the punishment? The expulsion is too harsh for a final-year student and for a first-time offense, and it's just a dance video, and no patient was… https://t.co/OAtc8wN0F9 pic.twitter.com/Qr1wbsOS9i