Gum Chewing

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What's everyone's opinions on chewing gum while on the job?

Just curious because I love to chew gum but I feel as though no one in my hospital does it. :eek:

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I cannot believe this - today we were in an appliance store looking for help at the parts dept for a broken door to our washing machine. The woman who was helping us kept clicking her pen! Over and over as she talked. I almost reached over and grabbed her pen from her. :mad:

As we walked away, I could still hear her . .. click, click, click, click :uhoh3:

steph

I am so glad it isn't just me!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
Oh, that makes me laugh!! One agency used to call me to work in their smallish ER on nights. There was one female ER MD who is from out of town and is rather ...PARTICULAR about who she works with and what they do. On her list of pet peeves is gum chewing and pen clicking. There is a list of her dislikes and the charge nurse makes sure first time agency nurses are aware. The items on her list drive her CRAZY!! If she sees someone chewing gum, she walks right up to them and holds out her hand, palm up. She says "You. Gum. OUT!! Right now. Right here. Spit it out. Out!Out! If she sees you chewing it again, she takes the whole pack.

The pen clicking sends her into orbit. She will confiscate your pen. I knew about her oddities, and thankfully have never been the butt of it.

My mom used to do some of the same "spit out your gum" type of thing, so the MD and I got along really well. I knew what not to do coming in.

Anne, RNC

Oh, H*LLLLLLLLLLLL no. That doc would have been told REAL fast where she could go. I'd have come up with some pretty good ideas of what to put in her hand, and it wouldn't have been my gum. Taking my pack of gum? *Confiscating* my pen? Absolutely not. She has no right to take ANYTHING just because something "annoys" her. What a hag.

People that like drive me nuts. Who do they think they are??

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I am so glad it isn't just me!!!

I dunno . . .maybe it was YOUR fault for reminding me. ;);)

There have been a few times when my husband has rightly sensed that I was about to "lose it" over something and he has nicely guided me away from the situation.

Usually I'm a pretty peaceful person.

steph

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I think it is ok if you are discrete about it and do not look like a cow chewing its cud. I rather have a gum chewing nurse than one that smells like smoke.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I dunno . . .maybe it was YOUR fault for reminding me. ;);)

There have been a few times when my husband has rightly sensed that I was about to "lose it" over something and he has nicely guided me away from the situation.

Usually I'm a pretty peaceful person.

steph

My give away that I am about to lose it is my leg starts shaking A LOT. I have had a few friends pick up on it and distract me too. lol

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I wish that my only debate in life was whether or not to chew gum at work. I couldnt care less what other nurses did as long as it didnt affect me or pt care. And pts dont care anyway. If they can lift their butt cheeks to fart and still talk to me with a straight face then I dont care if I chew gum in their presence. And if this is the only thing you can find that would make me unprofessional at work then I will go home in the morning and sleep hard as a rock because honestly I dont give a rip.

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I wish that my only debate in life was whether or not to chew gum at work. I couldnt care less what other nurses did as long as it didnt affect me or pt care. And pts dont care anyway. If they can lift their butt cheeks to fart and still talk to me with a straight face then I dont care if I chew gum in their presence. And if this is the only thing you can find that would make me unprofessional at work then I will go home in the morning and sleep hard as a rock because honestly I dont give a rip.

:rotfl:

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I farted in a patient's room today. Had been in there for a long while doing an admission, and they were on precautions, so stepping in and out of the room wouldn't work, and well.... I'm betting they'd have preferred it if I'd been chewing gum. :)

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
People that like drive me nuts. Who do they think they are??

They have little self confidence/control, so they pretend they're in charge - a typical power play. The thing that's so evident, though is their denial of the truth. When they let things get to them, they've lost control....... :D

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
My give away that I am about to lose it is my leg starts shaking A LOT. I have had a few friends pick up on it and distract me too. lol

Mine does that too!! My dh notices it and guides me away.

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
I am so glad it isn't just me!!!

Me too! I am a little OCD and I probably would have walked out with her pen!!

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
I farted in a patient's room today. Had been in there for a long while doing an admission, and they were on precautions, so stepping in and out of the room wouldn't work, and well.... I'm betting they'd have preferred it if I'd been chewing gum. :)

Now that's something the douche products' manufacturers could possibly invent - peppermint smelling farts! :sniff:

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