Several nurses have been fired from Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia after posting a TikTok in which they complained about their “icks” of working in the maternity ward. The TikTok garnered over 100,000 views before it was deleted. In it, they aired various qualms with the behaviors of patients and their families during a reasonably high-stress event – the birth of a child. The ‘icks’ included things such as relatives requesting water and blankets, fathers asking for paternity tests right outside the delivery room, and those in labor refusing meds even while in severe pain.

@username098717493 Unprofessional nurses. Such a disgrace to all patients. Would never want my nurse to be like this. Nasty. #emoryhealthcare #l&d #nurses #atlantageorgia #emoryhospital #emoryhospitalatlanta #emory #hanhinton #nasty #blacknurses #whitenurses #laboranddelivery ♬ original sound - username09876510

EUHM promptly issued an apology on their Facebook page regarding the TikTok. They state that they’ve investigated the matter and dealt with the “former employees” accordingly, re-asserting that “every patient at Emory Healthcare deserves to be cared for by a compassionate, experienced team in a comfortable and safe environment.” 

The layoff of these nurses has rekindled the discussion over workplace etiquette and cancel culture in the age of social media. EUHM’s decision was understandable, as the video demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism and was seen by tens of thousands. However, the online community appears split over whether the nurses should have been let go as opposed to just penalized. On one hand, their careers have been ruined after years of schooling and hundreds of hours of hard work and dedication. On the other hand, how comfortable would you be if you knew the lives of you and your newborn child rested in these women’s hands?