Stephanie Visciano, RN exemplifies excellence in patient care and heartfelt compassion since joining the Stich Radiation family. Since early on, Stephanie has done an incredible job caring for every patient and family member that comes her way. She often goes above and beyond educating patients before, during, and after radiation treatment, since radiation treatment can be very stressful and difficult for patients and their families. Stephanie works very closely with our attending doctor and his team, in our Thoracic/Head & Neck service which, relative to some other disease sites that are treated with therapeutic radiation, can be one of the most toxic and taxing areas to treat. The treatment often has many side effects, which can be difficult to manage and require expertise. Stephanie has been quick to learn how to manage these issues and has shown impressive wealth and knowledge in managing these patients. She ensures that patients and their families know what to expect and how to cope with any issues that may arise. Stephanie has the phenomenal ability of being able to guide them through this therapy and has great dedication by educating patients and their families and by always showing a willingness to help and solve any patient issue or concern.
Stephanie is always prepared for every patient encounter, apprising the entire care team of any and all relevant issues, which significantly improve the overall care that each patient received. I am always impressed at how grateful patients are with her at the end of their treatment and how excited they are at follow ups when they meet with her again. While some patients may describe an oncology department as "gloomy," Stephanie does a wonderful job at eliminating this stereotype. The biggest disappointment our patients would have was at the end of their treatments when they would no longer be seeing Stephanie.
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The medical staff had just finished treating a young man for an aggressive cancer with 7 weeks of radiation therapy, of which came the possibility of blindness in one eye. Needless to say, the patient was very disheartened during treatment and after, especially since such a treatment carries severe side effects. Stephanie developed a very strong bond with this gentleman and surprised him at the end of the treatment with tickets to a New York Knicks game, where there she made special arrangements so the patient could meet his hero, Carmelo Anthony. The joy that Stephanie brought to her patient who had suffered for so many weeks was overwhelming. In my years of practice, I cannot recall someone doing something so special for a patient. At the conclusion of their meeting, Carmelo gave Stephanie's patient a signed autograph pair of sneakers he wore for the night's game. The look in his eyes was priceless and for one night, this patient felt no pain, just joy.
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Stephanie has a very strong presence in radiation oncology, and every member of the team loves working with her. Stephanie embodies the characteristics of the best in oncology nursing. We know and can say with total confidence that Stephanie not only embodies the qualities of an outstanding nurse but also a loving human being and we are very fortunate to have her part of our team.