Compassion fatigue by a health care worker

I'm not sure who wrote this; I saw it on my niece's Facebook page.  She works in a nursing home with direct patient care.

You are not alone...

When are we going to wake up from this nightmare? New rules every day, extra work loads, short staffed, long hours, co-workers turning against each other and having to hear the frustrations of those who just want their lives back to normal. Humanity has fallen into a dark place in our existence. Compassion is lost in the deep abyss we cannot retrieve it back from. A while ago they said we were "heroes", now we are crying for help and waiting for our Superman to save us.

 
Today was the day I felt all the care and compassion leave my body. Not sure if others feel the way I do, but this is how far burn out has gone. I have a feeling there will be no end in sight if humanity keeps going in this direction. We are dropping like flies. Every day I keep hearing those advertisements saying, "Mental health is important". Yeah? Well, HELP US! We are tired when we come home, lost interest in taking care of our own selves. If you think that we are just being "overdramatic" or "you need to get over it", then I am truly sorry you are not walking in our shoes.

Here is the definition of compassion fatigue:

Compassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. It is sometimes referred to as secondary traumatic stress.

 
You read that right? Traumatic stress? This is why people are leaving nursing. It has taken a toll of us all once and for all.

"The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet." - Naomi Rachel Remen