Annual poll evaluates Americans’ opinions on various professions
More than four in five Americans (84%) rated the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as “very high” or “high,” earning them the top spot among a diverse list of professions for the 17th consecutive year.
Since 2002, nurses have taken home the top spot in this Gallup poll. Since being added to the poll in 1999, in fact, nurses have sat atop the results every year but 2001, when in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, firefighters overtook the top spot.
Out of 20 listed professions, only five received ratings of ‘high’ or ‘very high’ ethical standards from more than 50 percent of respondents. Aside from nurses at 84 percent, also highly regarded were:
- Medical doctors (67 percent)
- Pharmacists (66 percent)
- High school teachers (60 percent)
- Police officers (54 percent)
Current events in our country have an obvious effect on the rankings from year-to-year, as journalists, clergy members, police officers, and stockbrokers, among others, have seen wild swings in approval in various years. These factors make the unwavering consistency of the nursing profession all the more impressive.
