I would be fooling myself and my professor to pretend like I wasn’t slightly baffled when, during our first lecture, I learned that this class was created for nursing students. What could business students possibly have to gain by learning about an ill person’s narrative or perspective? What could further my professional insight in the business world by learning about sick role or authority? In the first few weeks of class, it still wasn’t clear to me what exactly I would gain that could make me into a better Human Resources professional, but as we began to delve further into our readings, and as our professor guided us through group discussions, it became evident that I had much to learn. Not only could I learn how to be a more sympathetic employee and coworker, but I could also learn how to handle personal crises which naturally arise during the course of our small amount of time here on this planet. Doctor Hudler has given me insight, tools and wisdom for which I will always be thankful.
The business world is notoriously cold and cruel to those in need. It is sad that we hear about “feel good” stories where a company, for once, did the right thing by a struggling employee. For example, the CEO who cut his pay to $70,000 per year to be able to pay his employees well enough that they could live. This should be the norm; however, the norm is that most businesses look out for their bottom line, and any employee who infringes upon that profit is looked at as an issue regardless of their personal circumstances. As a Human Resources Management representative, I will be walking the fine line between the best interest of the business which employs me and that of the employees who I am there to guide and protect. Although I will have my own job to protect, I will now be able to move forward with my career with a better understanding of the human condition and what toll it takes when one of my coworkers suffers illness or illness or death of a loved one. Readings from class such as “The Yellow Wallpaper,” have shown me that ignoring a problem will not make it go away. It will only amplify the issue. It will be my job to act as the liaison between the company and our employees, and I feel confident that my empathetic nature and newly developed skills of sympathy and understanding will increase my chances of maintaining successful relationships within the company for which I end up working. Happy and productive employees are what drive the bottom line for the company, after all. My professional life turned out not to be the only area of growth which I encountered this semester.
Doctor Hudler asked us to write a paper about an experience with a person who was ill or dying, and I wrote about my uncle. I had revelations about him which I hadn’t thought of until I went through the writing process for that particular paper. It was incredibly therapeutic for me, and wasn’t something I even realized I needed at the time. As life would have it, (the universe sure has a sense of humor) my mother’s sister has now been diagnosed with stage 4 Squamous Carcinoma, or throat cancer. A tumor had been growing in her throat over her voice box. Three years prior, an oral surgeon had pulled an infected tooth. My aunt thought that the pain in her tonsils and throat over the next three years was due to infection spreading. Several doctors were unable to diagnose her condition. Finally, she sought help from MD Anderson, and she received the terrifying diagnosis. She and my mom have lost their father and brother both to cancer. It is devastating news, but they are incredibly positive and are spending just as much time together as possible. What is another interesting twist to our family’s story is that my mom was released from her job with a freight forwarding company after over twenty-five years of service to them with absolutely no advance notice and no severance package. It was, interestingly enough, a situation of a company looking after their bottom line and not their loyal employees. The company replaced her with a kid they could pay a fraction of her salary. What we are finding now is the silver lining. She now has ample time to spend with her sister to be the voice for my aunt who is currently unable to speak. She can be there to support her and to spend quality time with her should she succumb to her illness, and these are things she wouldn’t have been able to do if she were slaving away at her nine-to-five for a company that, as it turns out, didn’t really care about her anyway.
The things I am taking away from this course are so much greater than can be summed up in a paragraph or with words, really. I came into the semester a bit confused, but I leave it with absolute clarity. That is a gift that has been given to me by Doctor Hudler. I am confident that I will be the best Human Resources Professional I can possibly be for whichever company is lucky enough to have me. I have the resources to be a part of the support system for my aunt as she begins her journey with cancer. I understand my small role in her story, and I want to have a positive affect on whatever may come from her situation. Those are gifts and insights for which I will forever be grateful. My hope is that I can pass even a small portion of what I learned from this class to my friends, family and coworkers. The only way for us to grow as a community is to share this information and take every opportunity possible to grow from our experiences. We are, after all, in this life together.
The business world is notoriously cold and cruel to those in need. It is sad that we hear about “feel good” stories where a company, for once, did the right thing by a struggling employee. For example, the CEO who cut his pay to $70,000 per year to be able to pay his employees well enough that they could live. This should be the norm; however, the norm is that most businesses look out for their bottom line, and any employee who infringes upon that profit is looked at as an issue regardless of their personal circumstances. As a Human Resources Management representative, I will be walking the fine line between the best interest of the business which employs me and that of the employees who I am there to guide and protect. Although I will have my own job to protect, I will now be able to move forward with my career with a better understanding of the human condition and what toll it takes when one of my coworkers suffers illness or illness or death of a loved one. Readings from class such as “The Yellow Wallpaper,” have shown me that ignoring a problem will not make it go away. It will only amplify the issue. It will be my job to act as the liaison between the company and our employees, and I feel confident that my empathetic nature and newly developed skills of sympathy and understanding will increase my chances of maintaining successful relationships within the company for which I end up working. Happy and productive employees are what drive the bottom line for the company, after all. My professional life turned out not to be the only area of growth which I encountered this semester.
Doctor Hudler asked us to write a paper about an experience with a person who was ill or dying, and I wrote about my uncle. I had revelations about him which I hadn’t thought of until I went through the writing process for that particular paper. It was incredibly therapeutic for me, and wasn’t something I even realized I needed at the time. As life would have it, (the universe sure has a sense of humor) my mother’s sister has now been diagnosed with stage 4 Squamous Carcinoma, or throat cancer. A tumor had been growing in her throat over her voice box. Three years prior, an oral surgeon had pulled an infected tooth. My aunt thought that the pain in her tonsils and throat over the next three years was due to infection spreading. Several doctors were unable to diagnose her condition. Finally, she sought help from MD Anderson, and she received the terrifying diagnosis. She and my mom have lost their father and brother both to cancer. It is devastating news, but they are incredibly positive and are spending just as much time together as possible. What is another interesting twist to our family’s story is that my mom was released from her job with a freight forwarding company after over twenty-five years of service to them with absolutely no advance notice and no severance package. It was, interestingly enough, a situation of a company looking after their bottom line and not their loyal employees. The company replaced her with a kid they could pay a fraction of her salary. What we are finding now is the silver lining. She now has ample time to spend with her sister to be the voice for my aunt who is currently unable to speak. She can be there to support her and to spend quality time with her should she succumb to her illness, and these are things she wouldn’t have been able to do if she were slaving away at her nine-to-five for a company that, as it turns out, didn’t really care about her anyway.
The things I am taking away from this course are so much greater than can be summed up in a paragraph or with words, really. I came into the semester a bit confused, but I leave it with absolute clarity. That is a gift that has been given to me by Doctor Hudler. I am confident that I will be the best Human Resources Professional I can possibly be for whichever company is lucky enough to have me. I have the resources to be a part of the support system for my aunt as she begins her journey with cancer. I understand my small role in her story, and I want to have a positive affect on whatever may come from her situation. Those are gifts and insights for which I will forever be grateful. My hope is that I can pass even a small portion of what I learned from this class to my friends, family and coworkers. The only way for us to grow as a community is to share this information and take every opportunity possible to grow from our experiences. We are, after all, in this life together.