Nurses top Gallup’s most trusted professions list as other healthcare roles decline

Editor's Note

Gallup’s 2024 poll of the most trusted professions reaffirms nurses as the most trusted group, with 75% of Americans rating their honesty and ethics as “high” or “very high,” the organization announced January 13.

According to the article, nurses have held the top spot nearly every year since their inclusion in 1999, highlighting their enduring reputation for trustworthiness. Medical doctors also rank highly, but their trust rating has fallen significantly, dropping from a pandemic high of 77% in 2020 to just 53% in 2024—their lowest level since the mid-1990s. Pharmacists, while still among the most trusted, have also experienced declines in trust since their pandemic peak.

Healthcare professions, which saw a surge in trust during the early pandemic years, have largely returned to or fallen below pre-pandemic levels. This trend reflects a broader decline in public trust across most professions, tied to reduced confidence in US institutions. Social and political dynamics, including polarized responses to public health measures and ongoing challenges within the healthcare system, may contribute to this erosion, Gallup reports.