For nineteen years, Americans have ranked nursing as the No. 1 most honest and ethical profession, according to an annual Gallup poll. Nurses outrank physicians, teachers, pharmacists, judges and even members of the clergy.
The integrity of nursing is also one of the few things Americans across the political spectrum agree upon, with democrat and republican respondents choosing nurses as No. 1 in near-equal measure.
The bottom line is people from all walks of life trust nurses with their lives. But what is it about nurses that foster such a deep sense of faith and confidence? In honor of nurses’ week, we’re delving into a few reasons people consistently rank nursing as the most trusted profession in the country.