The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has selected Carrie Daly, APN, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, as the recipient of the 2009 ASTRO Nurse Excellence Award, which is awarded to a registered nurse who goes above and beyond the normal standards of nursing practice. Daly will be presented her award, a $1000 grant, during the nurses’ welcome and orientation luncheon being held Sunday, November 1, 2009, during ASTRO’s 51^st Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Daly is an oncology nurse manager and advanced practice nurse in the radiation oncology department at Rush. In the four years she has been on the staff at Rush, Daly has developed site specific educational materials for patients receiving radiation therapy and implemented skin care and mouth care protocals for radiation therapy patients.

She is also a member of Rush’s Cancer Survivor’s Day committee, which is responsible for organizing the annual event to honor cancer patients and their families. Due to her involvement and the committee’s dedication, attendance at the event increased from 50 people to over 400 patients and families in the four years since Daly joined the committee.

For the past 23 years, Daly has been a volunteer at One Step at a Time Camp, a summer camp for children with cancer, where she leads the Excursion Program for teenagers. She is also an active volunteer for Gilda’s Club Chicago and has volunteered at a biweekly cancer support group for women at Saint Joseph Hospital for the past 13 years.

Daly has been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) for over 20 years and a member of the Radiation Oncology Special Interest Group through ONS. In 2005, she received the ONS Excellence in Radiation Oncology Nursing award. She has also been nominated for the Nursing Spectrum: Nurse Excellence Award for community service and for the Hematology/Oncology Nurse of the Year Award through the Leukemia Research Foundation.

“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, MSN, chair of ASTRO’s Nursing Committee. “I am honored to be able to recognize her with this award.”

ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.