POLL: Nurses most trusted, Congress least

Nurses have quite the dynasty going when it comes to honesty and ethics.

A recent Gallup Poll of those qualities among 20 occupations found nurses on top for the 17th consecutive year with 84 percent of the vote this time around — up from 82% last year.

On the opposite side of that poll, Congress, down two percent from last year at 58%.

Betty Jorgenson, nurse administrator at Mayo Health System in La Crosse, said part of that — nurse’s honest, not Congress’) has to do with the amount of time they spend with a patient and that trust is there when patients are most vulnerable.

“Being able to empathize with the patient,” Jorgenson said. “Recognize that they may have certain stressors or certain questions or concerns, so nurses really try to understand where the patient is coming from.”

Jorgenson says that while you can certainly trust your nurse or doctor, it’s also important that patients ask questions.

Results are based on telephone interviews conducted Dec. 3-12, 2018, with a random sample of 1,025 adults, aged 18 and older, living in the U.S.