Nursing rated top profession in honesty, ethical standards in 2018

Caring. Trustworthy. Ethical. These are a few words that might come to mind when describing nurses. And for good reason, too. The profession was rated highest for honesty and ethics for the 17th consecutive year in an annual Gallup poll.

When asked to rank the honesty and ethical standards of a variety of occupations, more than four in five Americans (84%) rated nurses as “very high” or “high,” earning them the top spot. Two of the four other professions that were rated as having “high” or “very high” honesty and ethical standards were also healthcare professions, medical doctors (67%) and pharmacists (66%), followed by high school teachers (60%) and police officers (54%). Results of the poll are based on telephone interviews conducted in December 2018 with a random sample of 1,025 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Gallup has measured Americans’ views of the honesty and ethical standards of a diverse list of occupations since 1976. Since being added to the list two decades ago, nurses have generally outpaced all other professions in honesty and ethical standards.

At Aurora University, you can prepare to enter America’s most trusted profession in one of the most respected nursing programs in the region. Learn more about AU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at aurora.edu/nursing.