(PRWEB) December 10, 2004 -- For the third year in a row, and the fifth out of the past six years, nurses were named the most ethical and honest professionals as judged by the American public, according to the annual Gallup survey of professions.
?We have always known that nurses in general uphold the highest standards in honesty and integrity,? notes Kathleen Lynam, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, N.Y. ?But in particular, we believe that our nurses are the best in the business, offering the highest level of compassionate care and promoting a true healing environment for our patients and their families. We take the opportunity of the publishing of the Gallup survey to salute our nurses and to congratulate them for their professional skill and ethics. They are truly the unsung heroes of health care.?
At the top, 79% of Americans gave nurses high or very high marks. Other categories, in order, were grade school teachers, pharmacists, military officers, doctors, police officers, clergy, judges, and day-care providers.
This ranking is not a one time event or anomaly by any means. In fact, nurses have held the top position in the opinion of Americans for five out of the past six years. In 2001, nurses finished in second place, beaten only by firefighters in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
Good Samaritan Hospital is part of the Bon Secours Charity Health System, which also includes St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, NY and Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, NY. Additionally, Bon Secours Charity Health System provides the services of a Certified Home Health Agency, two long-term care facilities, an assisted living and adult home facility and several other medical programs.