On September 4, 2025, nurse and mother of four, Jaquese Moore, experienced what every healthcare professional fears but rarely talks about: she fell asleep at the wheel driving home from a night shift.
Minutes from her home, everything went dark. The next thing she remembers was waking up as her car collided head-on with a tree. Miraculously, Jaquese walked away alive—sore, bruised, and shaken, but without a single broken bone.
“I knew I was being given another chance,” she recalls. “As a wife and mother, all I could think about was how differently that night could have ended. I walked away from something that should have taken my life.”
Her story is more than a near-tragedy. It’s a wake-up call about the hidden dangers of burnout, overwork, and a nursing culture that often glorifies “pushing through.”
The Reality of Burnout and Overwork
In the weeks leading up to her accident, Jaquese was balancing:
Full-time Family Nurse Practitioner coursework and clinicals Multiple nursing jobs Her role as a wife and mom of four
Days blurred together with 24-hour stretches and no more than 4–6 hours of sleep. Rest felt impossible.
“The signs were all there—fatigue, irritability, forgetfulness, and moments where my body felt like it was just running on autopilot,” she says. “But I ignored them. Nursing culture often makes exhaustion feel normal. ‘Pushing through’ becomes a badge of honor, but in reality, it’s dangerous.”
Faith, Family, and a Mustard Seed
For Jaquese, survival wasn’t luck—it was grace.
As she gathered belongings from the wreckage, she found something small but deeply meaningful: a mustard seed that her family had carried for years. That seed had survived two devastating car accidents in four years.
“To most, it might seem insignificant,” she shares, “but to us, it’s a reminder of divine protection. God’s hand was unmistakably present. When I hit the tree, the passenger side of the car was crushed, but the driver’s side—where I sat—remained untouched. It was as if heaven itself drew a line and said, ‘Not this one.’”
– Jaquese Moore, BSN, RN
She carries scriptures like Matthew 17:20 and Psalm 91:11 close to her heart, believing they reflect the truth of her survival.
A Commitment to Change
Since her accident, Jaquese has committed to boundaries and balance:
Saying no to stretching herself too thin Making rest non-negotiable Slowing down and honoring her limits Reconnecting with her family and faith
Her advice to other nurses:
“Listen to your body. Don’t ignore the warning signs of burnout. Exhaustion isn’t something to push through—it’s something to address. Don’t wait for a life-altering wake-up call like mine.”
Why This Story Matters
Nurses are human before we are caregivers. Yet too often, systemic pressures, short staffing, and cultural expectations leave nurses stretched beyond their limits. The result is dangerous not just for nurses, but also for their patients and families.
“There are resources out there, but not nearly enough,” Jaquese emphasizes. “Support shouldn’t just come when nurses are already in crisis—it should be built into the culture of care.”
A Message for the Nursing Community
For Jaquese, self-care now looks like prayer, family time, and prioritizing rest. She hopes her story reminds other nurses that their health is not expendable:
“You can’t care for others if you don’t care for yourself first—and waiting until you hit a breaking point is too high a price to pay.”
How The Nurses Lounge Can Help
At The Nurses Lounge of Central Arkansas, we exist to provide exactly what Jaquese calls for:
✅ A safe space for nurses to share openly
✅ Community support to combat isolation
✅ Tools and discussions around self-care, resilience, and balance
No nurse should have to wait until tragedy strikes to realize the importance of their own well-being.
👉 Join The Nurses Lounge of Central Arkansas today and be part of a community that supports YOU as much as you support others.
Click Here to explore membership
Nurses helping eachother fight burnout in healthcare
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