The recently released Gallup poll shows 79% of Americans believe nurses have high or very high ethical standards, making them the most trusted profession in the U.S.
Gallup has measured public trust in professions annually since 1990. In that time, a few professions have found themselves on the list each year. For more than two decades, nurses have enjoyed a place among the topmost trusted positions.
“This recognition belongs to America’s 4.4 million incredible nurses,” said American Nursing Association President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “For more than two decades, the nation has recognized the vital role you play in keeping [us] safe and healthy. Without your bravery, professionalism, and clinical expertise, our health care system could not function.”
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In the next highest spot, medical doctors earned a 62% trust rating. Pharmacists came in just under physicians at 58%.
Telemarketers, members of Congress, and car salespeople came in at the bottom of the poll. Each had low ratings in honesty and ethics across the board.
Most trusted for two decades
Healthcare professionals saw a spike in their trust ratings in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, with nurses earning an 89% trust rating from their fellow Americans. While still high, current poll results see all three healthcare professions back at pre-pandemic levels.
“Like 2020 and 2021 before it, this past year was a difficult one for nurses,” said Mensik Kennedy. “Though COVID-19 may have receded from the headlines, it continues to weigh on nurses in communities and care settings in every corner of the country.”
“The strain of a historically severe flu season along with a surge of RSV infections has only added to the stress and anxiety that many nurses are feeling,” she added.
