History of Nursing: 17 Years Straight as the Most Honorable and Trusted Profession
Once again Nurses are the stars of the show with the 2018 Gallup Poll of how Americans perceive 20 of the major professions. Nurses have “won” this year, for the 17th year straight, with 84% of the public rating their honesty and ethical standards as either “high” or “very high.”
Gallup.com reports, “Nurses have surpassed all other professions every year but one since Gallup first asked about them in 1999. In 2001, Gallup included firefighters on the list after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and 90% of the public rated their honesty and ethical standards as “high” or “very high.””
In the last 20 years, nurses have only missed one year as the top ranked profession for honesty and ethics.
“I believe that this shows a lot about what the general public believes about our profession. This ranking is not given by the people who make up the nursing profession, but rather those who receive their care”, says Chief Nurse Advocate Kelley Johnson, “it is a true testament to the power of the work of nurses, the hearts that makeup this profession, and the appreciation for the job well done. The ethical makeup of the nursing profession is also to be noted. This profession is typically one on one, so these nurses are making these ethical decisions and upholding standards in their own integrity. That says a lot.”
Professional nursing is a unique but vital part of the healthcare system as we know it today. Nursing is the the largest healthcare profession with 3.3 million nurses working to provide frontline medical care for patients in hospitals, facilities, clinics, homes, and outpatient care. Nursing has become a staple of care for families and communities with many nurses working independently, contracted, and as part of a healthcare team in a facility. The nursing scope of practice has a large extension allowing them to provide of primary health care services, health care education, and health advice and counseling. The nursing profession is absolutely irreplaceable in the healthcare system of America.
With everything that nursing provides our nation in vulnerability, it makes sense that they remain at the top of people’s hearts and minds when it comes to honesty and ethical standards.
Gallup.com reports, “Three of the professions rated highest for honesty and ethical standards are in the healthcare field – nurses, medical doctors and pharmacists – a trend that has been the case in recent years. Yet, pharmacists, who were at the top of the list of honest professions for years, have taken a slight downturn in the last year as the U.S. opioid epidemic has become increasingly problematic, leading President Donald Trump to declare it a public health emergency. While the clergy are not at the bottom of the list of professions, this year’s ratings represent a new low for a profession with image problems in recent years.”