Chewing Gum

[Otessa]

Do any of your hospitals ban staff from chewing gum?

I have been places where they look like they should be in the Grease movies or are auditioning to be a cow.

Looks very unprofessional, IMO.

[pinksugar]

It is completely possible to chew gum without being rude about it. I chew gum and offer it to my patients (if they can chew it) and their visitors. I am often taken up on my offer.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

do any of your hospitals ban staff from chewing gum?

i have been places where they look like they should be in the grease movies or are auditioning to be a cow.

looks very unprofessional, imo.

some folks chew with their mouths open, crack their gum and blow bubbles during teaching rounds and in front of patients. that's just wrong. you're right about it looking unprofessional. sometimes i'm embarrassed for them!

[MzMouse]

I agree, for the most part it is obnoxious.

Occasionally I need a cough drop when I have a tickle in my throat and I find myself apologizing for it. But I figure it is better than that dry cough that allergy season can bring.

[nursel56]

. . .Understand, please, I'm not talking about tiny, dainty, sheep-like jaw movements here-I'm talking about mandible-stretching, wide-open mouth chewing!!! And then you get the bubble variety that, having been masticated to a suitably soft wad, then gets blown up into a saliva-and-plaque-impregnated balloon, which is then popped by the tongue, reintroduced into the mouth and.....eeeeeeewwwwwwww!!!!

Eeeeeeewwwwww!

Gross! :barf01::barf01::barf01:

In the real world of nursing nurses wear jewelery, have tattoos, and chew gum. I chew gum at work, but try to be non-cow like about it. I do it because we go 12+ hours with one 30 minute break, and sometimes we do not get that. This means I do not EAT, DRINK, or otherwise nourish myself. After three shifts I honestly would be lucky to have taken in one days worth of calories (I have lost 11 pounds since starting to work). I know I am dehydrated I can feel it, and try to chug the water on the drive home.

Don't do that! I understand crazy-busy but. . . I don't know. . .isn't there a way to jerry-rig something like strap on a new leg bag, fill it with water and get some tubing you could snake under your top and take a long sips when no one is looking?

[OCNRN63, RN]

Gum chewing is something I do in the operating room while I am at work. Generates saliva and it is sometimes 6 hours before I can go get a drink of water.

I REALLY like nurses who can not only chew loudly with their mouths open.... but can make it SNAP on each chew... that is SOOOO dope ghetto...

I have tried numerous times to replicate this skill.. but to no avail.. I stand in awe of those who can.

It is truly a class act thing to do.

This totally cracked me up. I have to remember that line.

[SFNP127]

I've been on both sides of this. I chew gum at work regardless of whether I'm allowed to or not. I don't chew with my mouth open or pop it in my patients' faces, come on. I work in an ICU where we RARELY have time for some semblance of a normal break to eat, sit, hydrate, perhaps brush my teeth or swish a little mouthwash, etc. The air is dry in the hospital, anyone who works in one knows that. It's gum, people. If some manager can prove that me chewing gum makes me a worse nurse, I'll stop immediately. Enough said.

[ragingmomster, BSN, MSN, RN]

I agree that one can chew without looking unprofessional...

However, your manner of addressing it would prob just pi$$ me off. To me, that seems too passive/aggressive and I would prob just look at you and say something to the effect of "Why, yes....yes, I am." "Did you want a piece?" Of course, I also wouldn't chew like a cow chewing its cud, so it would be a non-issue..........

I deal so much better with someone that respectfully tells another how it is, as opposed to more genteel, or passive/aggressive methods....

I would love to learn a better method... freely admit I sometimes have no couth.

Any specific quotes you can pass on?

[greenfiremajick]

I've been on both sides of this. I chew gum at work regardless of whether I'm allowed to or not. I don't chew with my mouth open or pop it in my patients' faces, come on. I work in an ICU where we RARELY have time for some semblance of a normal break to eat, sit, hydrate, perhaps brush my teeth or swish a little mouthwash, etc. The air is dry in the hospital, anyone who works in one knows that. It's gum, people. If some manager can prove that me chewing gum makes me a worse nurse, I'll stop immediately. Enough said.

And remember that there's been research on gum chewing....

Students have always been told gum is a distraction, but is it true? Poppers, smackers, and other obnoxious gum chewers give gum its bad name, but according to research gum can actually make you more alert.

Dr. Scholey did research on the effects of chewing gum and the results were quite revealing. Scholey had three groups of people: one with chewing gum, one with nothing, and one "chewing air" or just moving their jaws as if chewing gum. The group that chewed gum had higher test scores then both the non-chewers and the air chewers. The air chewers also had higher test scores than the group that didn't chew at all.

Why did the gum chewers get higher scores? After further research, it was proven that the chewing-action creates a mouth and jaw rhythm which the brain follows. Insulin, or bodily produced sugar, is created next because the body is fooled into thinking that food is entering the stomach. This insulin enters the brain's right and left hemispheres and excites parts of them. This means that the amygdala (attention), hippocampus (memory), and prefrontal cortex (comprehension) are kicked into gear and boost one's learning skills.

It has also been proven that chewing gum causes the heart rate to rise three extra beats per minute. This means that more blood is pumped through the body. Oxygen is carried through the blood stream and, with more blood pumping through our system, the brain is supplied with more oxygen for fuel.

What does this mean for gum in school? Gum can increase a students learning ability. Some high school teachers offer gum during testing, such as Donna Hall and Andrea Payne. Payne passes out different flavor gum for core tests and Hall has a box on her desk full of it. With both being math teachers have they figured out the trick to better thinking?

On his views of gum used during testing Mark Bevans said, "If I was provided research on gum improving a student's grade I would consider it."

As another positive, chewing can distract students in a good way. Not only can it help a student restrain from fidgeting but also from talking.

Karsten Gillwald, a PCHS junior, said, "I chew gum because I get bored. It stops me from fidgeting with other things."

Gum has been proven to strengthen jaw and other facial muscles, along with whitening teeth. Acids produced in the saliva during the process of chewing gum can clean away plaque and eat away bacteria, so no more bad breath.

However, to every up there is a down. The U.S. is the world's leading country in chewing gum consumption. Chewing gum sales in the U.S. are about $2 million a year. Gum does not break down so it is extremely difficult to remove. The cost for gum removal is around $2-$3 per piece of gum. This removal of gum is not only gross and hard work, but it's also expensive.

Further, gum can act as a distraction in school because many people chew gum differently and there are those that chew really loud. The fact that many students dispose of their gum under desks or other inappropriate places such as bathroom stalls or walls creates another problem.

Roger Arsht said, "[Things] can be disgusting in lots of different ways. One of those is finding gum on the bottom of desks." Although Arsht doesn't appreciate the gum on the bottom of his desks he is "more interested in what is being produced in class. As long as students conduct themselves respectfully, I don't care what they do [about gum]."

When asked what Mr. Cuttitta's view on gum in school was, he said, "I'm indifferent, I don't not support it because it doesn't affect a learning environment, but I'm a little more pro [gum] because it keeps students happy."

Some teachers have stronger views on the subject. Bevans, a spanish teacher, has two views on chewing gum in class. One, it creates a problem when its put under desks and chairs and two, pronunciation is harder with gum in a students mouth. Bevans said, "I hold a communication class. I want mouths clear and able to cummunicate at all times." His views of gum in general outside his classroom? "It's up to a teacher's own opinion but it would be less of a problem without having to communicate so much."

Overall, teachers agreed that its up to the individual teacher to decide whether gum is appropraite or allowed in classrooms. Sophomore Conner Lagnese said, "None of my teachers let me chew gum but I think it should be allowed because it helps me focus."

Another thing that can help students focus is the flavor of the gum. Chewing cinnamon-flavored gum can enhance multiple areas of brain processing and function. Many of these processes include: memory, visual-motor speed, recognition, attention, and focus. One study done stated that chewing gum can increase a person's reading speed up to eighty percent. Cinnamon can also increase blood flow to the brain. On the other hand, mint such as peppermint has also been shown to improve the workings of the brain. Peppermint is responsible for alertness according to Bryan Raudenbush who conducted a study on the subject.

In the end, the usage of chewing gum in school is based soley on a teachers own decision. There are many pros to gum chewing but there are also the down sides. A little advice to students, if you want to be able to chew gum in school, chew it and dispose of it respectfully.

[greenfiremajick]

I've been on both sides of this. I chew gum at work regardless of whether I'm allowed to or not. I don't chew with my mouth open or pop it in my patients' faces, come on. I work in an ICU where we RARELY have time for some semblance of a normal break to eat, sit, hydrate, perhaps brush my teeth or swish a little mouthwash, etc. The air is dry in the hospital, anyone who works in one knows that. It's gum, people. If some manager can prove that me chewing gum makes me a worse nurse, I'll stop immediately. Enough said.

just one more...

Research has found that chewing gum stimulates certain areas of the brain (as measured by EEG), which may have a relationship to reducing tension. In addition, one study conducted in 2002 showed that chewing gum appeared to improve people's ability to retain and retrieve information.

So we say: chew away while you're studying for exams this year.

[K nurse-one-day]

Thats really good research.

I dont have a problem with people who chew it quietly and respectfully and dispose of it properly. Unfortunately, most people don't, and I have ears like a feline. I could hear someone popping, clicking or smacking gum (or any food for that matter) on an airport runway with 10 Boeing 747's taking off at the same time in the middle of the Apocalypse.

Ugh, Im getting riled up just thinking about it

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

most gum chewers will tell you that they chew quietly with their mouths closed and "no one even knows i have gum." most of the ones who say that probably even believe it. let me just say that most of them are wrong.

[greenfiremajick]

I have ears like a feline. I could hear someone popping, clicking or smacking gum (or any food for that matter) on an airport runway with 10 Boeing 747's taking off at the same time in the middle of the Apocalypse.