Nursing is the most trusted profession in the US
Americans continued to rank nurses highest for honesty and ethics among a list of professions for the 18th year in a row in 2019, according to a recent Gallup poll.
The vast majority of respondents––85%––agreed nurses’ honesty and ethical standards were very high or high in 2019, compared to 84% who said the same in 2018. The profession has been consistently ranked high among Americans, who conversely found car salespeople to have the lowest levels of ethics and honesty (9%). In fact, nurses rank significantly higher than the next several fields for these virtues.
Medical professionals rate high for honesty and ethics standards among Americans. At least 6 in 10 U.S. adults rating medical doctors (65%), pharmacists (64%) and dentists (61%) positively. Only engineers come close to medical professionals––66% of Americans say this field has high levels of honesty and ethics. Engineers are the second-highest ranked profession on Gallup’s list.
Gallup’s poll on honesty and ethics has remained relatively consistent over the years, though journalists have seen a drop in positive assessments from Americans, down to 28% in 2019 from 33% the year before.
Members of Congress saw a slight bump in honesty and ethical standards trust from Americans, though levels still remain low. In 2019, just 12% saw this group as having high levels of these standards, compared to 8% in 2018.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."