In most states, their respective Nurse Practice Act in some cases govern what they do in the private sector. For example, if I enjoy going out to the bar and drinking, and end up with a DWI, my nursing license could be affected. Another example would be drug usage, if a nurse is found to be positive for drugs, the license could be revoked or put on probation. I am licensed in the state of Missouri to practice Nursing. We must all remember that to practice nursing is not a benefit, it is a granted privlege that may be taken away. In Missouri, we are expected to exude professionalism in all that we do; in the health care setting as well as our interactions with others in the community. We all chose to be nurses and work hard for our license. The Nurse Practice Act of your state has most likely been in force for many years before you became licensed. Unfortunately, in most cases people become nurses and then do something that puts their license in jeopardy. Had they read the Nurse Practice Act before the incident, they may not have done it. Ignorance of the law (in this case the Act) is no excuse. Departments of regulation are not very lenient when it comes to violations of the Nurse Pactice Act. I would suggest that you take 30 min. to an hour and read the Nurse Practice Act that governs your license.

Well, eventually every nurse becomes old or sick; some are injured in auto accidents that can drastically affect their ability to work. Does that mean we should just throw them away?

Also consider the fact that there are a number of fields in the nursing profession that a nurse with less than perfect physical abilities can still provide a valuable service to the profession.