Nursing Excellence Award Honors Oncology Nurse Who Goes Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Carrie Daly, MS, RN, APN, AOCN, is a nurse who has a very rich life because of her job. She has worked tirelessly over a number of years to help hundreds of cancer patients and survivors.

Daly was the recipient of the 2009 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Nurse Excellence Award. This award is given to a registered nurse who goes above and beyond the normal standards of nursing practice.

"To be an oncology nurse, you have to be a good listener to deal with death and dying. You treat the entire body from head to toe in terms of the symptoms. You can help spiritually, medically, socially, and you can have an intimate and close relationship with the patient and the family. Patients feel that you benefit them so much, but I feel I get so much from my patients," Daly told The Oncology Nurse.

Daly is an oncology nurse manager and advanced practice nurse at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She has developed site-specific educational materials for patients receiving radiation therapy and implemented skin-care and mouth-care protocols for patients receiving radiation therapy.

"I have been a nurse 29 years and an oncology nurse for 25 years. I worried I would lose my empathy over the years for the patients, but I haven't. My family was worried I had picked the wrong type of nursing because I cry at movies and I am very sensitive. However, I think that has helped me to relate to the patients. Patients know when you are sincere and when you are not," Daly said.

Daly is a member of the hospital's Cancer Survivors' Day committee and helps organize an annual event that has gone from 50 people to more than 400 people, in part, because of Daly's involvement. For the past 23 years, Daly has been a volunteer at One Step at a Time's summer camp for children with cancer. She is also an active volunteer for Gilda's Club Chicago and has volunteered at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago at a biweekly support group for women.

"One of the big things that I do is treat my patients and their families the way I would like to be treated. Some people think being a cancer nurse is depressing, but in reality, it is just the opposite because it is fulfilling to help people, and not everyone dies from cancer. Vast numbers are living today, and a diagnosis of cancer is not what it used to be. It is not a death sentence," said Daly.

"Carrie's dedication and compassionate care toward her patients during their treatments and throughout the cancer journey is the definition of nurse excellence in radiation oncology," said Vanna Dest, MSW, APRN, chair of ASTRO's Nursing Committee. "I am honored to be able to recognize her with this award."

"I think being an oncology nurse takes a special type of person, and nurses in this field do it because they have a passion," Dest said in an interview with The Oncology Nurse. "Helping cancer patients through their treatments can be a very difficult journey, but I think Carrie is someone who helps each patient through each facet of the journey. There are physical and emotional challenges that patients and their families encounter, and she is able to recognize and assess those needs and implement interventions that can help."