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Gallup Poll Names Nurses America's Most TRUSTED Profession According to an annual Gallup survey on honesty and ethics, eighty-three percent of Americans placed nurses in the number one position as the most trusted professionals for the sixth consecutive year. Nurses have averaged an 81 percent 'very high' or 'high' rating for ethical and honesty standards since first appearing on the list in 1999. The exception was 2001, in the aftermath of 9/11, when firefighters held the top spot. "It's no surprise that nurses have ranked first as the most trusted profession all these years," said Andrea Higham, director of The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future. "Almost every American family has been challenged by the hospitalization of a friend, loved one or family member. When that tragedy occurs, nurses are right there, providing care, helping families and healing." The survey also reveals that among the 22 professions ranked in this year's poll, only nurses have shown continuing improvement in their ratings year after year. For more information on the 2007 Gallup survey, visit http://www.gallup.com/.     Top Ten Honest & Ethical Ratings by Profession 1.  Nurses - 83% 2.   Grade-school teachers - 74% 3.   Pharmacists - 71% 4.   Military officers - 65% 5.   Medical doctors - 64% 6.   Clergy - 53% 7.   Policemen - 53% 8.   Judges - 46% 9.   Day-care providers - 44% 10. Bankers - 35% Source: Gallup Poll, 2007 Survey on Honesty and Ethics, http://www.gallup.com/ Nurses Look at Approaches to Their Career for 2008 Celebrate the beginning of 2008 by picking a New Year's resolution or two to share your passion for nursing. As a nurse or future nurse, challenge yourself in 2008 to optimize your professional, intellectual and interpersonal skills in order to protect, preserve and enhance the nursing profession. Where do you want to be professionally in one year? Two years? Explore the unlimited possibilities the nursing profession has to offer and ring in the New Year by doing what nurses do best. Care for others and care for yourself! To explore new and exciting nursing opportunities for 2008, visit http://www.discovernursing.com/. Ten Ways to Nurse Your Potential in the New Year - A Resolution or Two for You Share your professional knowledge Help inspire interest in the profession by sharing your experiences with non-nurses. Find a mentor or become one Seek and receive nursing counsel, accept career advice or support someone else's professional development. Explore nursing as a second career Encourage non-nurses to contemplate going back to school or to request information on online nursing degree programs offered by nursing schools. Invest in yourself Build nursing expertise by subscribing to and/or reading industry publications or attending professional nursing conferences. Expand your nursing network Become involved in a professional nursing organization/association, or join a social networking forum to discuss nursing issues. Move laterally to another field of nursing Research, observe and consider other nursing fields to avoid burnout in your current specialty. Advance your nursing degree Advance your nursing degree through continuing education or refresher courses. Learn a new job-related skill Survey your job routine and find ways to practice more efficiently. Learn a new language Communication barriers complicate the delivery of health care. Bridge the language barrier by learning a new language to improve communication among the diversity of practitioners and patients. Thank your fellow coworkers Express appreciation to your fellow nurses and colleagues, and recognize the value of teamwork and social support. Alternative Nursing Programs Offer Option for Obtaining Nursing Degrees A significant shortage of nurse faculty continues to impact our nation's nursing schools. And though interest in the nursing profession across the United States is increasing, more than 30,000 qualified potential nursing students continue to be turned away each year. As a result, many prospective nursing students are considering alternative nursing programs to obtain nursing degrees. Some schools offer online nursing degree programs, which allows students to create their own study schedule and helps them eliminate commutes to and from classes. Online nursing degree programs may also offer students financial benefits, as most online nursing programs do not charge out-of-state tuition. Students can earn their degree and qualify for an initial Registered Nurse (RN) license online; RN to BSN and MSN as well as LPN degrees are the most commonly available online nursing degree programs offered. The online training does not eliminate clinical training requirements, but does make significant reductions in classroom time. Another way of obtaining a nursing degree is to enter into an accelerated nursing program. Accelerated nursing programs are offered to non-nurse college graduates at both the baccalaureate and graduate levels and allow students to obtain their degree and enter into the nursing workforce in a shorter timeframe. For a baccalaureate level nursing degree, the traditional four-year program is typically condensed into an 18-month program, which is more rigorous than traditional nursing school programs and requires students to learn in a fast-paced manner. Accelerated nursing programs reflect similar course objectives and requirements as traditional nursing programs, but further test the student's ability to perform in a fast-paced environment. "Students bring a variety of backgrounds to our intensive, fast-paced, Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN program, building on their previous education in a wide variety of fields, including psychology, biology, business, anthropology, music, engineering, and sports medicine - some have already earned master's and PhD degrees in other disciplines," said Eileen Chasens, assistant professor and coordinator, Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN Program at The University of Pittsburgh. "Their ages range from twenty-something to fifty-something, their reasons for coming to nursing through the accelerated program are as diverse as their backgrounds, but they all share the desire to build upon their previous work with the nursing role." For more information on nursing programs, visit http://www.discovernursing.com/program-search. Meet Nurse Erlinda Erlinda S., RN, MN, COHN-S Occupational Health Nurse Chandler, AZ Q: When did you decide to become a nurse? A: I was born in the Philippines and moved to Arizona after high school. Growing up, I aspired to become a teacher, but by the time I reached the USA, my desire to become a teacher had faded. Knowing that I still wanted to be in a profession that helps people and because of the nursing shortage, I entered nursing school. Q: What was your experience with obtaining a nursing degree? A: When I was 18, I received my LPN degree - and earning my degree confirmed that I had chosen the right profession. Becoming a LPN offered me financial independence, but I knew there was still much more to learn about nursing in order to become an effective nurse who could deliver high-quality nursing care. So, in 1989, I received my Associate Degree in Nursing. I then received my BSN in 1991, and in 1997, obtained my Master of Nursing Management. Q: In what areas of nursing have you worked? A: I have worked in nursing for more than 16 years and have worked within five different nursing specialties- hospital-based nursing, clinical instruction, home health, community health, and occupational and environmental health. Ten of these 16 years I have worked in occupational and environmental health nursing. Q: Why do you think your nursing specialty is so important? A: This specialty allowed me to develop health and safety programs, which aide in promoting good health and positive well-being for the working population. I strongly believe that by engaging in primary prevention programs, we can alleviate our country's escalating health care costs.

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