January 31, 2024 – New survey results show nurses are essentially the most trusted professionals in America. For the twenty second 12 months in a row, they usually tend to be perceived as ethical, even in comparison with doctors, clergy and pharmacists.
The seal of trustworthiness is received annually Gallup 2023 Honesty and Ethics Pollwhich found that 78% of individuals within the US say nurses have a high or very high level of honesty and ethical standards.
The survey measures people's views on 23 professions. Veterinarians ranked second in trustworthiness, followed by engineers and dentists. Physicians ranked fourth, with 56% of respondents rating them as having high or very high standards of honesty and ethics. At the underside of the list of trusted professionals were senators, congressmen, automotive salesmen, advertisers and stockbrokers.
The survey asked 800 people to rate the trustworthiness of 23 sorts of professionals and responses were collected between December 1st and twentieth. Gallup launched its annual ethics survey in 1976, and this 12 months's responses showed some lows in trust amongst professionals similar to politicians, and trust in most other professions also declined. For nurses, the trust metric has fallen 11 percentage points from its peak of 89% in 2020.
The head of a U.S. nursing education program said the Gallup poll results reflect the profound impact nurses can have when working with patients.
“Nurses are the people who spend the most time with patients, and we are the ones with whom they share the most confidential information,” said Annette Wysocki, PhD, RN, dean of the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, in a opinion. “At the most vulnerable times in their lives, they know that nurses will advocate for them; Nurses have the most contact with any other healthcare professional caring for a patient. Therefore, we can be the voice of the patient and navigate the different levels to do what is best for them.”
Among the various nursing professions, there are an estimated 3.2 million registered nursing positions and 655,000 licensed practical and vocational nursing positions within the United States US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average wage of registered nurses in 2022 was $81,220 per 12 months, or about $39 per hour, while the common wage of licensed and dealing nurses was $54,620 per 12 months, or $26 per hour.
The American Nurses Association welcomed the survey results.
“Given the significant difficulties and obstacles faced by the nurses we serve, including unsafe work environments, severe burnout and barriers to professional practice, to name a few, this recognition is a true testament to positive impact of nurses on their patients and their undeniable impact on the healthcare system,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, in a opinion. “It is a fantastic honor to receive this special recognition from the general public these nurses serve. And it's equally necessary for nurses to listen to this recognition because it boosts the morale of our nurses – it couldn't be more timely and appreciated. This is vital.”