Vanna M. Dest, A.P.R.N., an oncology nurse practitioner at the Hospital of Saint Raphael, has been named the 2010 recipient of the Oncology Nursing Society Excellence in Radiation Therapy Nursing Award. This award recognizes her as an expert nurse in the field of radiation oncology who has made significant contributions to the field through outstanding patient care.
The Oncology Nursing Society is a professional organization of more than 36,000 registered nurses and other healthcare professionals committed to excellence in oncology nursing.
“I am honored to receive this award and dedicate it to all the cancer patients I have cared for over the years,” said Dest. “Their courage, strength, and hope have enriched my life and they are truly my inspiration. My position as an oncology nurse practitioner in radiation has been very rewarding, and I could not imagine myself in any other profession.”
Dest, a resident of Hamden, received her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from Southern Connecticut State University and her Master of Science in nursing and post-master’s certificate in oncology from Yale University. She is an active member of the Southwestern Connecticut Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society and the group’s Radiation and Nurse Practitioner Special Interest Groups. She is chair of the nursing committee of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology.
Saint Raphael’s Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care, with campuses in New Haven and Hamden, is a nationally recognized center for top-quality cancer treatment. Saint Raphael’s offers top experts and cutting-edge technology like CyberKnife, a revolutionary form of radiosurgery to treat cancer – all combined with personal, compassionate care that is key to healing.
