The votes are in. Nurses have once again been named the most honest and ethical professionals in the United States, beating out pharmacists by 17 percent and physicians by 18 percent. The 2015 Gallup poll demonstrates nurses' personification of honesty and ethics in the eyes of the public, and nurses have no one but themselves to thank for their continued high ranking.
What does the poll mean for nurses?
The fact that Americans consistently rate nurses as the most ethical and honest professionals underscores that nurses are clearly doing well in terms of public perception. While most hospital patients cannot readily identify the names of the nurses who cared for them, many will more than likely heap praise on nurses for the positive experiences they had while hospitalized.
Patients may not understand what nurses do, but they indeed recognize that nursing is the backbone upon which all healthcare rests. Surgeons may operate, and physicians may order treatments and medications, but nurses carry physician orders through to the desired outcome by using their own scientific and clinical training to identify problems, plan interventions and provide ongoing skilled patient assessment.
The poll's effects on nurse recruitment
The perception of a nursing shortage, the aging of the population and the plethora of Americans flocking to nursing programs show that nursing is perceived as a reliable career path with a solid future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 16 percent job growth for nurses between 2014 and 2024, and Americans are hearing the message.
In terms of nurse recruitment, the profession has a friend in the Gallup poll — as long as nursing schools are able to handle the influx, and the market can provide remunerative jobs for those entering the profession.
Nurses need to earn it
Good publicity is great for our profession, but we must transform that publicity into forward movement for nursing as a whole.
The public doesn't seem to recognize the scourge of bullying within nursing, and they also don't seem impacted by ongoing negative portrayals of nurses in the media (e.g.: a drug-addicted "Nurse Jackie," lurid tales of nurse misbehavior and the sexualization of nurses in Halloween costumes and cartoons).
Nurses should not rest on their laurels and expect the public to continue to adore us without effort on our part. We must earn it.
Taking responsibility
Our responsibility is to deliver high-quality, safe nursing care while producing the best possible outcomes. We use nursing science to accomplish this, along with a large dose of the art of nursing — the elusive factor that makes a good nurse shine.
Nurses carry a torch of compassion; we bring human touch to healthcare. We must take our responsibility seriously and treat others with the utmost respect. If we do this, we will continue to be recognized by a public that sees both the science and art of nursing as intrinsic to 21st-century healthcare.
