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Gallup Poll: Nurses #1 Profession for Honesty and Ethics Nursing Industry Tops List for 15th Year

Nurses are rated number one in honesty and ethical behavior according to most Americans. A recent Gallup poll measured these traits among health care providers, as well as other industries. Among those polled, 84 percent rated nurses’ honesty and ethics high or very high.

Kathryn Tart, professor and founding dean of the University of Houston School of Nursing, cited many reasons why:

  • Confidentiality. “Nurses keep patients’ health care information in the strictest confidence. This is one of the hallmarks of what it means to be a nurse. We are privileged to care for people in their most vulnerable times – when we protect the health care information we protect the patient.”
  • Accountability. “We take this value very seriously. Our patients depend on us to be accountable to them and their care. The Texas Nursing Practice Act and the American Association of Nursing professional standard help us to hold this accountability.”
  • Compassion and Respect. “All people matter. We do not discriminate about the nursing care provided regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identification, nationality, illness or any other issue that patients have. Our nursing philosophy at the UH School of Nursing epitomizes this care.”
  • Honesty. “Nurses are dedicated to being truthful. Patients are then able to trust the nurse in a therapeutic relationship throughout their care. This helps put the patient at ease and helps them to move toward optimal wellness.

“Nurses are with patients from birth to death. These values are what nurses are known for,” she said.

This is the 15th year nurses are rated as the number one profession in the Gallup poll of honesty and ethical standards in various industries. Other health care professionals made the list’s top 10, including pharmacists, medical doctors and dentists. Car salespeople and members of Congress were rated near the bottom.

The UH School of Nursing is one of the inaugural programs at the UH Sugar Land Campus. The School of Nursing offers RN-BSN program, a master of science in nursing and a Second Degree BSN program for those who have completed a university degree and want to become a nurse. Contact a recruiter at uh.edu/nursing or 832-842-8220 for more information.

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