Every January, the Gallup organization publishes the results of a survey that provides insight into which professionals the American public finds the most ethical and honest. For those who love and recognize nurses for their hard work caring for millions of patients across the lifespan, it’s no surprise that nurses have been number one on Gallup’s list for 22 consecutive years.
In terms of contributing to a valuable ongoing national conversation about the ethical views of Americans, this 2023 Gallup survey is no exception.
Nurses at the Top, With a Small Dip
This year, Americans have again voiced their opinion that nurses are the country’s most trusted and ethical professionals. That said, some changes in the survey dynamics are worth noting.
Not surprisingly, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when nurses received so much media attention for their contributions to the fight against COVID-19, 89% of those surveyed rated nurses as having the highest ethical standards. With the commonality of “heroes work here” banners strung in front of hospitals and people banging on pots and pans at the shift change in cities around the country, nurses enjoyed unprecedented goodwill.
Nurses have not been as frequently featured in the media spotlight as they were, and this may be partially the cause of nurses dipping 9% to the current level of 78. However, compared to Members of Congress, who always fall at the bottom of the scale, nurses are veritable saints.
Medical Professionals Perform Well Overall
Alongside nurses, other medical and healthcare professionals have also seen an ongoing reflection of the public’s overall trust in their ethical standards and conduct. Physicians still rate high at 59% despite a 9-point drop from 65% in 2019. Pharmacists are consistently good performers in the Gallup poll, although they, too, have seen a drop from 64 to 55% between 2019 and 2023.
Interestingly, psychiatrists have steadily declined from their 2019 rating of 43% to a current low of 36%, and chiropractors have joined them downward from 41 to 33%. Dentists, currently the fourth most ethically viewed profession at 59%, also took a dive from a 2019 result of 61%.
When we consider the relative standing of Members of Congress (6%), stockbrokers and insurance salespeople (each 12%), and senators and used car salespeople (both 8%), healthcare providers demonstrate that their ability to communicate ethics, honesty, and trustworthiness in their behavior shines well above that of many others.
Honor, Trust, and Humility
We can conclude from the Gallup polls’ ongoing survey of American opinions about ethics that those of us who provide healthcare — including nurses, doctors, pharmacists, psychiatrists, and dentists — continue to be held in relatively high esteem by our fellow citizens. We can also see that Americans’ trust in everyone has waned across the board.
Despite the national nursing shortage, reports of long wait times for many common medical services, and the overall ballooning cost of healthcare in the United States, Americans view those who provide that care positively.
While mistrust of politicians continues with gravely low survey numbers, those in healthcare can maintain a trusting relationship with the general public, a sign that even some modest dips in percentage points have not broken that hard-earned trust.
Even as we ride a generally consistent wave of positive public sentiment, we shouldn’t rest easy or take our position for granted. As individual healthcare providers and members of prominent service-oriented professions, we must uphold our oaths of beneficence and non-maleficence, treat our patients with respect, provide the best possible care, and conduct ourselves with honor and humility.
Entrusted with the health and well-being of millions of lives, we nurses and our colleagues have a ceaseless task of caring for our fellow Americans. With the Gallup poll as a guidepost and a warning against complacency, we can continue to be the ethical, compassionate, and service-oriented professionals the public trusts. That trust is a gift we cannot expect to continue to enjoy without the hard work of earning it.
- How Many Nursing ‘Shoulds’ Are You Shouldering? - May 2, 2024
- The Power of Hospice Nursing - April 25, 2024
- The Nurse Licensure Compact: Accessibility, Ease, and Portability - April 18, 2024