Lawyers, lawmakers, and car salesmen may have image problems, but nurses still have the public's trust. In Gallup's annual list of occupations rated for honesty and ethical standards, 84% of respondents gave nurses "very high" or "high" marks-well ahead of pharmacists who came in second at 73%. The only other professions scoring over 60% were veterinarians, medical doctors, dentists, and engineers. Among the lowest-scoring professions were lawyers, senators and congressmen, insurance salesmen, and car salesmen.
Results were based on telephone interviews with 1,009 adults age 18 and older conducted December 8 to 10, 2006. Since being added to the poll in 1999, nurses have topped the annual list every year except one.