JustEnuff2BDangerous

Agreed, compassion fatigue and "dehumanizing" as OP calls it are two different things. Compassion fatigue is what results when you took too long to separate yourself - you've invested too much emotionally too many times and now you have nothing left to give. We definitely care about our patients and what happens to them, but we stop ourselves from getting too attached most of the time because really, that person could die in front of us at any moment. I fight for the life of every patient that wants me to, and I still grieve in my own way if we lose that fight. But if you become attached to every patient, you start coping badly with the job and burn out.

The OU alumna in me compels me to answer with the obligatory SOONER!

Also, happy birthday!

That depends on the state. In Oklahoma, if you check the donor box, that is legally binding and your family cannot override it.