When it comes to establishing bonds of trust, nurses consistently rank above all other professions. Gallup’s 2023 Honesty and Ethics opinion poll determined nursing was the most trusted profession for the 22nd consecutive year. Among those polled, an impressive 78% praised nurses for their honesty and ethics.
Patients who are dealing with a health challenge can be at their most vulnerable, and the relationships of trust they form with nurses are critical to achieving positive health outcomes. While doctors and nurses create treatment plans, it is often nurses who implement those plans and have more frequent interaction with patients.
Those who have an interest in enrolling in nursing school programs and entering the nursing profession can benefit from learning more about the trusting relationships nurses and their patients develop, as well as the aspects of nursing that enable patients to confidently place their trust in nurses.
6 Reasons Nurses Are So Trusted
Exploring how nurses carry out their responsibilities reveals why many people agree nursing is one of the most trusted professions. The examples highlighted below illustrate some of the specific reasons for the high level of trust nurses inspire.
1. Nurses Demonstrate an Effective Bedside Manner
Working at a patient’s bedside helps nurses put the patient’s needs and feelings first. Nurses also strive to make their encounters with patients personal, using patients’ names, maintaining eye contact, and listening. Nurses often support patients when they are experiencing stress or becoming emotional. They recognize that patients’ reactions of frustration are not directed at them, and they maintain their professionalism, as well as their compassion and empathy.
2. Nurses Spend Time with Their Patients
Because nurses spend a lot of time at the bedside, they have the opportunity to get to know their patients. Their friendly faces are often the first faces patients see at a hospital or doctor’s office during the course of care. Nurses are ready to step in and offer help when needed at any time of day, further strengthening patients’ trust in them.
3. Nursing Is a Caring Profession
Patients know nurses care, and nurses demonstrate that care in every interaction with their patients. If a patient needs a blanket or a glass of water, a nurse will respond. If a patient has a question or needs help moving, a nurse will be there. Nurses also have important interactions with patients’ families, answering questions and helping interpret a doctor’s instructions. Caring throughout the day builds a relationship of trust.
4. Nurses Provide Person-Centered Care
The person-centered care that nurses provide also contributes to nurses achieving high levels of trust. Nurses are trained to ensure that patients are partners in their own healthcare, which can help build bonds of trust and help patients feel empowered. Nurses also consider the unique aspects of each patient’s life when caring for them. For example, diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical aspects of person-centered care, and nurses consider these factors when developing and implementing care plans.
5. Nurses Advocate for Their Patients
Advocating for patients is a critical part of a nurse’s job. When patients observe that advocacy in action, this can strengthen their trust in the nurses who care for them. And nurses advocate for patients in several ways. For example, they advocate for cost-effective treatment, or use their clinical skills to identify necessary changes in patients’ treatment plans. At a higher level, nurses also advocate for healthcare policies that protect patients and help ensure optimal health outcomes.
6. Nurses Educate Patients and Their Caregivers
Nurses’ responsibilities also include educating their patients — as well as patients’ families and caregivers — about ways to manage health conditions. They also provide patients with important information regarding actions they can take to practice self-care and promote good health. Providing this information is vital to enabling patients to feel a level of control over their health, and it could account for nurses’ high rankings related to trust.
Benefits of Trust Between Nurses and Patients
When a nurse and a patient establish solid bonds of trust, both parties benefit. For example, a trusting relationship can:
Decrease the duration of treatment. Trust between nurses and patients can ease patients’ concerns and reduce the amount of time it takes for patients to complete treatment.
Improve patient treatment plans. When nurses and their patients build strong trust-based relationships, this can encourage patients to communicate more openly and honestly. As a result, patients feel more comfortable revealing important or sensitive information about their health that can be valuable in ensuring the best treatment.
Increase nurses’ satisfaction with their jobs. Establishing trust with their patients can be a rewarding experience for nurses, which can lead to greater job satisfaction. Feeling their work has value is important to nurses, and building strong bonds with patients is critical in nurses’ sense of fulfillment and desire to continue working in the profession they love.
Trust Between Nurses and Their Patients Is Essential to Good Health
The fact that nursing ranks as the most trusted profession is a reflection of nurses’ commitment to their patients and their importance to our healthcare system. Each day, nurses work to establish trusting bonds with patients that help patients achieve their healthiest lives.
Individuals who are interested in making a difference through nursing can explore Fortis nursing school programs to learn how those programs can help them achieve their career goals. Offering educational choices for all levels of nursing, these programs can help both aspiring nurses and current nurses seeking career advancement realize their career goals.
Embark on your nursing career path today with Fortis.
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