Americans trust nurses and doctors less than they did a few years ago, but both professions still make the top five among 23 wide and varied work roles.
In fact, nurses remain the No. 1 most respected professionals in the country for, specifically, ethics and honesty.
The findings are from the Gallup organization, which polled around 800 adults on perceptions of those two attributes in December.
Gallup has been conducting the survey for several years. Its latest figures show nursing hit its peak in 2020, when 89% of respondents rated nurses’ collective ethics and honesty as high or very high.
December’s poll shows nurses still at the very top in 2023—holding the honor for more than two decades—but with “only” 78% of the field giving them high favorables. That’s a drop of 11% over the past three years.
Still, it easily tops the runners-up, veterinarians, who are 13 percentage points short of nurses’ score.
A total of six professions that Gallup asked about are in human healthcare, and all of them make the top 10:
- Nurses (78% rated high or very high for ethics & honesty)
- Veterinarians (65%)
- Engineers (60%)
- Dentists (59%)
- Medical doctors (56%)
- Pharmacists (55%)
- Police officers (45%)
- College teachers (42%)
- Psychiatrists (36%)
- Chiropractors (33%)
- Clergy (32%)
- Labor union leaders (25%)
- Bankers (19%)
- Journalists (19%)
- Lawyers (16%)
- State governors (16%)
- Business executives (12%)
- Insurance salespeople (12%)
- Stockbrokers (12%)
- Advertising practitioners (8%)
- Car salespeople (8%)
- Senators (8%)
- Members of Congress (6%)
In announcing the standings, Gallup noes that the public image of many professions—particularly those in the medical field—“sharply improved in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that effect was short-lived, and many ratings have since declined to all-time lows.”
More:
“Almost all professions are now viewed less positively than they were a year ago and four years ago. A select few—led by nurses for the 22nd consecutive year—maintain overall positive ratings.”
More findings and analysis here.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.