In some places, it is believed that an occupation or position gives dignity to a person. However, in most cases, it is actually the person who gives dignity to the labor. This is why nurses, who perform some of the most thankless and selfless tasks on a daily basis, have been voted as the most honest profession in the world.

According to a poll held by Gallup, a global analytics and consulting firm, the nursing profession was voted as the most honest in 2018. This survey has been held by the firm since 1976 and, year after year, the staff has inquired on the public’s perception of honesty and ethical values of numerous occupations, including nursing, building contractors, cars salespeople, funeral directors, police officers, high school teachers, telemarketers, and bankers, among many others. In total, last year’s survey evaluated the honesty and ethics of 20 professions, among which nursing, for the seventeenth year-in-a-row, came on top with 84% of participants voting for very high/high in both aspects. Curiously enough, the profession that came last in the survey was no other than members of Congress, who received an abysmal 58% for low/very low, and 33% for average, with only 8% of the study population voting for high/very high.

In this regard, nurses have always secured the top place as the most honest profession, an honor that was only surpassed by firefighters in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, while the professions are on a constant rotation depending on the events of the year, there are several of these that have always held a spot on the list, including nursing, which has been present since over twenty years.

These results sparked great emotion among the leaders of the American Nurses Association, including Pamela Cipriano, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, the president of the association, who expressed her satisfaction at the news by claiming that nurses should always hold a spot on the high end of this poll. “Every day and across every health care setting, we are on the front lines providing care to millions of people. Nurses’ contributions to health care delivery, public health challenges, natural disaster relief efforts, research, education, and much more, are unmatched and invaluable,” Cipriano said. “These results are a testament to nurses’ impact on our nation.”

It is interesting to note that, for the fifth consecutive year, the top three spots of this list have been held by professions belonging to the field of healthcare. In the 2018 poll, pharmacists came in third with 66% very high/high, medical doctors in second with 67% very high/high, and nurses in first with 84% very high/high. However, while the difference between the third and second place is a mere 3%, the gap between medical doctors and nurses is almost 20%, which speaks volumes of the public’s perception of nurses. However, it would be interesting to distinguish the different types of nurses, as there is no distinction between bedside nurses, nurse writers, or nurse managers, among others; there is only the “nursing” profession in its entirety.

While these results achieve nothing by themselves, many nursing associations, including the ANA, are using them to further their plight and improve the work conditions of nurses nationwide. Some of these policies involve including nurses when the time to discuss changes regarding healthcare issues comes. This effort to include nurses in politics corresponds with the former ANA president, Karen A. Daley, Ph.D., MPH, RN, FAAN, who stated in 2011 that nurses have proven time and again that patients connect with them in a way that no other profession does. In this sense, policymakers have much to gain by depositing their trust in them, as well. “This poll consistently shows that people connect with nurses and trust them to do the right thing. Policymakers should do the same as they debate crucial budget decisions that will affect healthcare quality and access for millions of Americans,” said Daley.

Furthermore, the results of the 2018 polls are in line with the advances in nurse advocacy of the past year, where nurses started to push harder for the rights of their patients, workplaces, communities, and for themselves. Without nurse advocacy, some patients are not able to receive the treatment they need, in a manner that they are comfortable. It is through this advocacy that nurses continue to with the hearts and minds or their patients.

“As the largest group of healthcare professionals, nurses are leaders and change agents from the bedside to the boardroom,” said Cipriano. “This past June, nearly 300 nurses from 45 states conducted 277 scheduled visits with members of Congress and staff and were instrumental in the passage of critical legislation to help combat the opioid crisis. Nurses are a consistent and powerful voice in advocating for access to high quality, affordable health care for all. ANA empowers nurses to leverage their expertise and the diversity of the profession to influence changes that will best serve the needs of all people.”

It seems that nurses throughout the country are in for a treat this year; a treat that they have worked tirelessly and selflessly for. We can only hope that these outstanding people continue to reap what they sow in the workplace, as well as in their personal lives.