Nurses Top Gallup Poll for Eighth Straight Year As Most Honest and Ethical Profession

For the eighth consecutive year, nurses head the Gallup annual poll as the most honest and ethical profession.

Poll results released yesterday found that 84 percent of Americans viewed nurses' ethics as "very high" or "high."

"We are honored and gratified by those findings," said Deborah Burger, RN, president of the 70,000-member California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.

"Nothing is more critical to nurses than the sacred bond we have with our patients and the public," Burger said.

"Nurses have a particular obligation to advocate for our patients. In this era of cold-hearted, corporate medical care, nurses have had to become especially adept at fighting to ensure that patients receive the care they need and deserve.

"These poll findings reflect, I believe, a public recognition of who champions their health, safety, and well-being when they are ill and at their most vulnerable," Burger said.

In that regard, Burger also noted the contrast of the poll's high standing for nurses with the dismal showing for HMO managers whose overall ranking was third from the bottom, behind only car salesmen and Congressmembers.

"We are mired in an escalating healthcare crisis caused by those, such as the HMO industry, who put their bottom line ahead of the best interests of patients," said Burger. "As nurses, we believe we must continue to work tirelessly to change this system so that everyone has access to affordable, universal care based on a single standard for all." 
 

See the complete poll here:

Nurses Top List of Most Honest and Ethical Professions
Gallup News Service 12/14/06