Healthcare is a profession rooted in trust, compassion, and advocacy. Patients place their well-being and dignity in the hands of healthcare professionals with the expectation that they will be treated respectfully and competently. However, a recent social media video posted on Labor Day by healthcare professions of a Santa Barbara, California-based outpatient clinic, illustrates a troubling lapse in professionalism.

In the video, staff members are shown reacting with exaggerated disgust to lubricant stains left on sanitary paper after internal examinations, accompanied by comments about patients “leaving gifts.” While intended as humor, this behavior reveals a deeper issue: the persistence of incivility and unprofessionalism in healthcare. Such conduct isn’t only juvenile and inappropriate on the surface, but it also carries significant implications for patient trust, healthcare outcomes, and the integrity of the nursing profession.

The impact of incivility in healthcare reveals failures in professional education and training that allow such behavior to persist. It underscores the need for systemic solutions, including explicit instruction on professionalism, responsible use of social media, and a renewed commitment to compassion in practice.

Consequences of incivility in healthcare

Incivility, broadly defined as rude or disrespectful behavior that violates norms of respect, pervades healthcare settings. Incivility can occur among colleagues, between providers and patients, and even, as demonstrated in this case, through social media platforms where professional boundaries are blurred. When incivility manifests publicly, its consequences are magnified, as the damage extends beyond individual interactions to the broader perception of healthcare as a profession.

Mocking patients on social media erodes trust, discourages individuals from seeking timely medical care, and undermines the effectiveness of the provider–patient relationship. Patients may feel unsafe, judged, or ashamed, leading them to disengage from preventive care, withhold important information, or resist seeking treatment altogether. Patient withdrawal and avoidance of care compromise individual health and place significant strain on public health systems that rely on early detection and preventive care.

Incivility undermines the therapeutic relationship at the heart of healthcare. When patients perceive providers as dismissive or disrespectful, the relational bond that fosters healing, adherence, and open communication is fractured. To reduce patient experiences to fodder for ridicule, such as the events that transpired at the healthcare clinic in Santa Barbara, California, is to betray the very essence of professional responsibility.

Supporting patients with dignity and compassion

A particularly troubling aspect of the clinic video is healthcare professionals reacting with disgust to bodily fluids and lubricant left after an internal exam, which demonstrates a betrayal of women. Nurses and healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to advocate for all patients, ensuring dignity, equity, and compassionate care. Patients who entrust their care to professionals expect to be supported, not shamed. When providers mock normal physiological responses, it reinforces damaging cycles of body shaming and embarrassment. Ridiculing patients for leaving expected residue demonstrates not only a lack of compassion but also a lapse in basic clinical practice.

In addition, the video posted to TikTok potentially highlights an additional lapse in quality care. Proper clinical practice suggests that patients be offered a tissue or towel to clean themselves after an exam or assistance by the examiner when appropriate. Failing to provide these basic accommodations not only compromises patient comfort and dignity but also represents a tangible deficiency in care standards.

The role of professional education and training

The behavior displayed in the video underscores the urgent responsibility of nursing education to reinforce the humanitarian role of the profession. Patients must be treated with dignity and respect while in the office or clinic, and their experiences must remain confidential, respectful, and professional long after they leave.

Nursing curricula must move beyond isolated lessons on professionalism and instead embed civility, compassion, and respect as threads woven consistently throughout the progression of coursework and clinical training. Professionalism isn’t an innate trait but a skill set that must be intentionally taught, modeled, and reinforced at every stage of education.

The role of social media in healthcare incivility

Although social media can serve as a powerful tool to advance healthcare education and advocacy, it also poses risks when misused. Instances of unprofessional conduct on social media are increasingly widespread and concerning. Examples of unprofessional conduct by healthcare professionals include nurses live-streaming medication administration, staff making jokes about patient conditions, and, as illustrated in the Santa Barbara clinic’s TikTok, disparaging patients after they’ve left the examination room.

Each of these breaches of professional conduct represents a significant violation of ethical and professional obligations. These instances of unprofessional conduct emphasize the urgent need for structured social media training in healthcare education. Professionals must be equipped to understand both the power and the peril of digital platforms, with clear guidelines on ethical engagement.

Ending incivility in healthcare

Addressing incivility in healthcare requires a collective action to eliminate harmful behaviors and foster a culture grounded in professionalism and respect. The nursing profession must lead this effort—nurses’ conduct directly affects patient outcomes, colleague well-being, the integrity of healthcare institutions, and public trust. Advancing the imperative of civility and professionalism requires the following steps:

• Nursing faculty must integrate explicit education on professionalism and civility into curricula. Nursing and healthcare training must extend beyond technical competencies to include structured instruction, case studies, and simulations that demonstrate the consequences of incivility and the value of respectful, compassionate care.
• Healthcare organizations must implement robust systems of accountability to ensure that unprofessional behavior is identified and addressed promptly. Healthcare organizations should implement clear mechanisms for reporting, investigating, and handling unprofessional behavior, ensuring that civility is treated as a professional standard, not an option.
• Social media training must be embedded into nursing curricula, emphasizing both the opportunities and risks of digital platforms in healthcare. When used responsibly, social media can be a powerful tool for education, advocacy, and public health promotion. However, unprofessional use of social media, particularly when referencing patients as seen in the TikTok video created by staff at the Santa Barbara clinic, poses a substantial risk to patient confidentiality, erodes public trust, and compromises professional credibility. In this case, the uncivil and unethical behavior captured on video led to the termination of staff, underscoring that online misconduct carries not only ethical and professional repercussions but also immediate employment consequences. Social media education and training should make clear that professional and ethical standards extend beyond the clinical setting into all online interactions.
• Nurse educators and nurse leaders must model civility, consistently reinforce professional standards, and recognize individuals and teams who demonstrate respectful behavior. Prompt and decisive action against incidents of incivility is essential to protect patient dignity, maintain trust, and uphold the professional integrity of nursing.

A call to action

The TikTok posted over Labor Day weekend by the healthcare staff in Santa Barbara serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address incivility and unprofessionalism in healthcare. Although presented as humor, the video displayed behavior that was far from harmless. The unprofessional and uncivil conduct of the staff depicted in the video eroded patient trust, violated patient dignity, and highlighted systemic gaps in professional education and training.

A unified call to action is needed to establish and enforce policies that protect patient dignity and privacy. Nursing academia, healthcare organizational leadership, and professional nursing organizations must collectively take stronger measures to confront the pervasive threat of incivility and unprofessional conduct in healthcare. Failure to address these unethical behaviors undermines patient trust, jeopardizes patient outcomes, and endangers the credibility of the nursing profession

Michele Lopez, DHED, RN, MA, CNE, CHES, CDE is Assistant Professor-Nursing, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY.

References

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Buchanan C. TikTok video showing Santa Barbara clinic staff mocking patients stirs anger. Los Angeles Times. September 3, 2025.

Cao H, Song Y, Wu Y, et al. What is nursing professionalism? A concept analysis. BMC Nurs. 2023;22(1):34. doi:10.1186/s12912-022-01161-0

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Originally published on American Nurse Official Journal on September 9, 2025.

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Olivia Vella

Class of 2026
Art, BA
Communication and Media Studies, BA

How did you become interested in pursuing a dual major in Art and Communication and Media Studies?

I was always interested in exploring the intersection between creation and technology, often drawing inspiration from growing up in a digital age. Exploring different mediums has allowed me to create projects that combine various elements like video, photography, graphic design, and animation. My studies of communication have assisted me in creating a language within my art that is all my own. Through visual storytelling, I have been able to create worlds that blend artistic skills and storytelling with the increasingly endless possibilities of technology.

Why did you choose to attend Pace?

I grew up in Brooklyn and knew that I wanted to stay local for college. Pace gave me flexibility in that I could be a commuter student while still being supported as a member of the community, whether through the many student organizations or all the amazing student-led events. Being a student at Pace has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and set goals for myself beyond what I thought I could achieve.

Tell us more about your internship at Madison Square Garden. What is your role and how has your work been meaningful to you?

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I am a motion graphics student associate at Madison Square Garden Sports. In this role, I help support the Motion Graphics team by making graphics for all MSG sporting events including the Rangers, Knicks, and Westchester Knicks. I got into graphic production through coursework at Pace and working with Professor Jillian McDonald, MFA. With motion graphics, I've combined my passions for graphic design, animation, and storytelling into a single role.

My favorite part of being a motion graphic designer at Madison Square Garden is seeing how much our graphics enhance the game's energy and atmosphere, especially during moments when our teams face challenges. It's incredible to see something you created on a Jumbotron played for 20,000 people. The graphics are just as vital to the game as the game itself!

What other internships have you been engaged in as a student?

This past summer, I worked as a Pace community impact intern at the Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) in Chinatown, a non-profit media art center helping aspiring filmmakers create and learn about documentary filmmaking. Working at a non-profit was such a rewarding experience and informed me a lot about the kind of work I want to continue to do and the career I hope to have.

I credit my classes with helping me build my artistic style and create projects for my portfolio that helped me land my internship at Madison Square Garden.

What faculty members have been instrumental in your academic journey?

My experience with the Art Department at Pace, both students and faculty, has been truly inspiring and impactful to my creative and professional journey. Through my classes, I have been able to explore many different artistic mediums through the wide variety of subjects offered. I certainly credit these classes with helping me build my artistic style and create projects for my portfolio that helped me land my internship at Madison Square Garden.

In my junior year at Pace, I had the opportunity to work closely with Professor Jillian McDonald, MFA through the Amelia A. Gould Undergraduate Research Assistantship. Through the assistantship, I helped Professor McDonald create animation and video elements for her video artworks, including Total Eclipse and the Heart, which is about a solar eclipse that gets stuck in a glitch, and characters dissolve into the landscape while the natural world looks on. The assistantship helped me explore 2D and 3D animation and artificial intelligence. Working with Professor McDonald has been one of the highlights of my academic career; not only has she been an amazing instructor, but a mentor in both my academic and professional journey. Her guidance and encouragement are something I will always be grateful for.

What would you like to do upon graduation/what are your career goals?

Upon graduation, I hope to find a job within the entertainment industry that allows me to continue to combine my love of creating art with storytelling.

What advice, if any, would you like to give to our current students?

Everyone is on their own journey and path. It's so easy to compare yourself to others but it's important to never stop believing in yourself. Small wins are still wins, so celebrate every achievement and don’t be afraid to reach out when things get challenging. Trust yourself and your abilities as a student and professional.

An exploration of uneasy spaces and incongruent identity shaped by dislocation and lived experience

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Pace University Art Gallery is pleased to present Summer Remembers Winter, a solo exhibition by painter Siobhan McBride. The exhibition explores disjointed spaces, memory, and experiences shaped by dislocation and opens for viewing on Saturday, February 14 with a free public reception on Thursday, February 19, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

In Summer Remembers Winter, McBride unveils a new body of work that deepens her longstanding investigation of disjointed spaces that are, in the artist’s words, “prickly with static.” Her layered, patchwork scenes echo her lived experience as a Korean-born, U.S.-raised adoptee and reflect the complexities of an identity shaped by dislocation and the transformative impact of her recent return journeys to her country of birth.

McBride begins her process by photographing everyday environments, later reinterpreting these source images through gouache, paint markers, and colored pencil. The resulting works move beyond representations of constructed spaces to capture the emotional volatility of attempting—and often failing—to navigate them.

McBride is a Professor of Art at Borough of Manhattan Community College–CUNY. She has received numerous grants and residencies, including awards from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Lighthouse Works, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Workspace Program, PSC–CUNY Research Fund, Yaddo, Marble House Project, Jentel, Vermont Studio Center, the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program, the Sam and Adele Golden Artist Residency, and Horanggasy Creative Studio in Gwangju, Korea.

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Her work has been exhibited widely at venues such as Long Story Short NYC, NurtureArt, Standard Space, the Roswell Museum and Art Center, the Zillman Art Museum, and Horangassy’s Glass Polygon in Gwangju, and has been reviewed in publications including Hyperallergic and Two Coats of Paint.

Summer Remembers Winter, which remains on view through Saturday, March 21, 2026, also includes an artist talk with McBride on Thursday, March 5, at 2:00 p.m. The gallery is located at 41 Park Row in Lower Manhattan. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. The gallery is open for drop-in viewing Tuesday–Saturday from 12:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 7:00 p.m. Please check the gallery’s Instagram for updates to hours and holiday closures.

About the Pace University Art Gallery

Founded with the conviction that art is integral to society, the Pace University Art Gallery is a creative laboratory and exhibition space that supports innovation and exploration for both artists and viewers. Open to students, staff, and faculty from across the Pace campuses and, equally, to the Lower Manhattan community and visitors from around the world, the Art Gallery encourages personal investigation and critical dialogue via thought-provoking contemporary art exhibits and public programming. Enhancing the Art Department’s Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs, the Art Gallery offers students real-world opportunities to exhibit their own art and to work directly with professional artists to install and promote exhibitions. All exhibits and events are free and open to the public.

About Dyson College of Arts and Science

Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College, offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as many courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices.

About Pace University

Founded in 1906 and celebrating 120 years of preparing students for success in 2026, Pace University pairs real-life learning with strong academics to launch meaningful careers. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace serves 13,600 students across a range of bachelor, master, and doctoral programs through the College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.