Americans Rate Nurses Highest on Honesty, Ethical Standards

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In 2014, Americans say nurses have the highest honesty and ethical standards.

Members of Congress and car salespeople were given the worst ratings among the 11 professions included in this year's poll.

Eighty percent of Americans say nurses have "very high" or "high" standards of honesty and ethics, compared with a 7% rating for members of Congress and 8% for car salespeople...

... Americans have been asked to rate the honesty and ethics of various professions annually since 1990, and periodically since 1976.

Nurses have topped the list each year since they were first included in 1999, with the exception of 2001 when firefighters were included in response to their work during and after the 9/11 attacks.

Since 2005, at least 80% of Americans have said nurses have high ethics and honesty.

Two other medical professions -- medical doctors and pharmacists -- tie this year for second place at 65%, with police officers and clergy approaching 50%...

http://www.gallup.com/poll/180260/americans-rate-nurses-highest-honesty-ethical-standards.aspx

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Wow, interesting. If they only knew the kinds of thoughts that go through my head sometimes . . . :D

That's pretty good news. Considering the 'nurses' who end up on headline news for mercy killings and abusing patients, that's very good news. Imagine if the public didn't idealize us as much as they do? I'd hate to be a cop right now, that's for sure :(

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And as we say in Brooklyn, that and $0.50, will get you on the subway!

The public may think that we are honest, but they certainly do NOT respect us.

JMHO and my NY $0.02

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I've commented on this before some time ago. While people ranked nurses high up on that scale of standards and respect, when they were asked if they would want their dtrs/sons to become nurses, the rating dropped big time. LIke I'm thinking I remember something really low.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Wow If I was actually honest with them....yikes.

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Specializes in hospice.

So many times I'm about as honest as a southern lady saying, "Bless your heart!" :p

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.

The public may think that we are honest, but they certainly do NOT respect us.

This is 100% correct and it is KEY. Trust and honesty do NOT equal respect.

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This is great news! I am proud to be part of a profession that has a code of ethics and rates consistently at the top of the list of professions in terms of the general public's trust and confidence.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

I think most people have been helped by nurses and teachers.

Top 10 Most Loved Jobs

Loved jobs are jobs or professions that people admire and respect...

... Read on for a list of the ten most loved jobs.

1. & 2. Teachers and Professors...

...3. Nurses

Next to teachers, the occupation of a nurse ranks amongst the most loved jobs.

http://www.brighthub.com/office/career-planning/articles/98945.aspx

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Most nurses I know are honest and ethical. Even the mean ones. Even the ones I don't like.

I wonder if the rampant burn out is caused by making ethical and honest professionals, hawk themselves like used car salesmen?

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

I think we can be proud that people trust us.

We have the responsibility and the right to do all we can for our patients and for the health of us all.

We need to continue to care for our patients with our hearts as well as our minds.

"We could not be more proud to continually earn the trust and confidence of the public," says Deborah Burger, RN, co-president of the nation's largest organization of nurses, National Nurses United, which represents 185,000 registered nurses in all 50 states.

"In their most vulnerable moments, patients and families know that they can count on nurses to care for them--to stand up for them."

In 2014, RNs faced ever-growing challenges to safeguard patient safety at the bedside, ranging from flawed electronic medical record technology and unsafe staffing conditions, to fighting to keep hospitals open in underserved communities and securing proper protective equipment for front-line healthcare workers against the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, as well as the U.S...

... Fighting for the highest Ebola safety standards

As the hospital industry dismissed nurse concerns, and the federal government failed to act, registered nurses stood up and demanded substantially improved safeguards for the Ebola virus. A global day of action by 100,000 RNs and health workers resulted in landmark mandatory Ebola guidelines in California, serving as a model of action for all U.S. hospitals...

EbolaMarch12182014-GallopBI1_zps41755740.jpg

Nurses march to the Federal Building in Oakland, CA

on the National Day of Action for Ebola Safety

... Elevating patient safety standards at the bargaining table and in the legislature

RNs won regulations in several states requiring hospitals to maintain workplace violence prevention plans and safe patient handling. Safe nurse-to-patient staffing protections are now part of all NNU contracts. Nurses, who are increasingly the primary breadwinner in the family, safeguarded comprehensive healthcare coverage, including retiree health and secure retirement benefit...

http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/health-and-fitness/57826-nurses-voted-1-in-honesty-ethics-again-as-in-15-previous-gallup-polls.html

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

I have met very few nurses who would not fall into this category. Yes, some nurses are a bit rough around the edges, but even those do things, the majority of the time, in the best interest of the patient.

We absolutely deserve the title of most ethical and trusted.

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