Alumni Profile: Daniel Arellano on Acute Care Nursing, Advocacy, and AACN Leadership

Providing emergency care has been at the core of Daniel Arellano ’08N, ’10N (MS)’s work, from the early days of his career as a paramedic to his current roles as an acute care nurse practitioner (NP) and educator.

Before continuing his education at the School of Nursing on a BS-to-MS track in 2007, he had originally earned a bachelor’s in psychology in his home state of Texas. But his years of care experience as an EMT and paramedic drew him to a pathway in critical care nursing.

“I entered the profession knowing a little about the healthcare field and that I wanted to function at a higher level in an advanced practice role,” the alumnus recalled. “I chose acute care because I had always had an interest in the ICU.”

Today, the School of Nursing alumnus balances positions as an NP at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, an assistant professor at the Cizik School of Nursing at UT Health Houston, and, as of Summer 2025, a member of the board of directors for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

Across each of his roles — at the bedside, in the classroom, and in professional organizations — Arellano seeks to amplify the voices of nurses, patients, and families.

“I consider my role as being an advocate for others and being the person that's not afraid to speak up,” he said. “Being a voice in a room where nobody else speaks up is extremely important to me, so I always aim to be the person that will raise my hand and say something.”

Rochester remains a part of the Houstonian’s story. Whether he’s incorporating the teaching styles of his favorite professors into his own courses or applying the critical care skills he developed at Strong Memorial Hospital in his daily work as a clinician, Arellano continues to feel the School of Nursing’s impact in his career.

What led you from Texas to Rochester as a student?
I worked at Strong, Highland, and Monroe Ambulance, and I wouldn’t take any of it back. People would always ask me why I moved from Houston, Texas to Rochester. Part of the reason was that they offered a free education that I couldn’t turn down: my bachelor’s was covered by the Fuld Scholarship Program, and my master’s was covered by tuition benefits when I was working as a nurse at Strong. The School of Nursing’s personal touch also made an impact on me: when I was applying, Elaine Andolina called me personally and told me what the University could offer. She remembered small details about every single student and knew how to find passionate nurses who would be a great fit for the School.

What skills helped you succeed when you came into nursing as a second degree?
I had always been in medicine in some capacity. My paramedic experience made me a stronger nursing student, and it made me the strong clinician I am today. I was also a manager at a McDonald’s, and I always tell folks that you learn so much from this job: you learn how to work under pressure, deal with the public, contribute to a team, and use the resources you have to be successful.

What did starting your career here in Rochester mean to you?
The great educational opportunities and environment there were important for my career. Working at Strong, where you’re in a tertiary care center that can take care of every type of heart patient in the world, was a very unique opportunity that prepared me to lead in critical care.

What led you to teaching? How did your time at the School of Nursing prepare you?
It actually started as a mistake. An email went out to PhD students when I was pursuing my doctorate, asking if anybody was interested in teaching pathophysiology — which is one of the hardest courses to teach and be a student in. I responded and said I was interested, and never expected to get anything back. But I got a response very quickly, asking, ‘Can you come to my office? When would you like to start?’ I stumbled into teaching that way initially, and now I am the course lead.

I specialize in the three Ps of nursing education: pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment. I had an outstanding foundation in each of those from the University of Rochester, particularly with Amy Karch being the outstanding instructor that I had for patho and pharm. Professor Karch had an amazing ability to teach and break things down in a very simplistic manner. I've modeled some of my own teaching methodology after hers, and so I believe that she has continued to help shape more nurses. In a way, her legacy continues because I continue to teach the same way she taught me, and tell some of the same stories.

What excites you most about your role on the AACN board?
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to make an impact in the critical care nursing world. I'm excited to engage with our nurses directly. Every year, we host the AACN National Teaching Institute, and thousands of nurses come from across the country to go to that conference — to sit down with them, engage with them, and to be a part of that will be an amazing opportunity.

I am also looking forward to lending my voice where it’s needed, and to advocate for bedside nurses as much as I can. My full-time job is at the bedside, and that's a little rare these days — I’m not a manager or a unit director, and though I am a leader, I don’t manage people. You don't find a lot of organizations that have full-time clinicians as part of their leadership team, and so I'm looking forward to offering that aspect of my voice.

What advice would you share with other nurses considering a similar pathway to yours?

• Don’t sell yourself short — you are capable of doing whatever you feel you are capable of doing, and I tell my students that all the time. The University of Rochester did a great job of cultivating our passions and helping students see what they could give.
• Networking has led to some awesome opportunities, and helped me progress my career and get to where I am today.
• You're never too old. I have had 80-year-old nursing students, and students who were 19 when they started. You're never too young, you're never too old, it's never too late, and it doesn't matter what your background is. I've had engineers, chemists, teachers — it doesn't matter what you are.
• Keep pushing yourself, network, and see what life will throw at you.