Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Daniel Rodrigues Nunes.
Hi Jose Daniel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was raised in Portugal and graduated from my BSN in 2011. I moved to the UK in 2012, to work for the NHS, working in a wide variety of units in several hospitals in and around London. I moved from the UK to San Antonio in 2018, working at the Cardiovascular Unit in the Baptist Medical Center until 2022, when I graduated my MSN FNP-C degree. I did all my clinical rotations at Mercy Wellness Clinic, in Spring Branch, being offered a position by Dr. Aaron Terry upon graduation, which I gladly accepted. I have been with the clinic since then, having moved permanently to the Mercy Wellness Clinic Alamo Ranch location in 2023, where I currently work full time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was a very bumpy and pothole ridden road… I moved from Portugal to the UK, due to lack of professional chances following graduation of my BSN, and though that a move abroad would be a temporary one, as well as a chance to gain experience and start building up my resume, aiming to return home at one point. Life had different plans, however… I ended up falling in love with my spouse (also a nurse from Portugal), and after a couple of years we realized that the dream of returning home to work at the same level we had accustomed ourselves to wasn’t materializing. Then Brexit happened in 2016, and we found ourselves at a crossroad, having to decide between staying in an increasingly unstable economy, or moving abroad to start anew. We set our sights on the US, and emigrated here in 2018, with our then infant son. Life improved, and prospects looked bright for our future, especially after enrolling in my MSN, but then COVID-19 hit and both me and my spouse had to go through the hardest period of our healthcare career, working in COVID units through the duration of the pandemic period. Eventually, I graduated and Dr. Terry’s offer opened a new stage in our lives, which enabled us the chance to grow our family further, and own our current home.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a family nurse practitioner, I have a great deal of responsibility in monitoring, counseling, and assisting patients in achieving the best possible outcomes for their health process. I like to think of my position as a “jack of all trades” but take special pride in learning as much as I can every day, particularly with new situations and clinically challenging cases (which I seem to attract). I am known for my drive to work for my patients and ensure that I give them the best care and treatment possible in every situation. I think that what sets most apart from my colleagues at the clinic is my clinical and personal background, as well as the fact that I speak multiple languages, which enables me to better understand cultural nuances that patients can present with.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like the laid back, family-oriented vibe that San Antonio has, as well as the Tex-Mex culture, which reminds me a lot of back home in Portugal. I love the San Antonio Zoo, as well as the many parks around the city, and the weather around Spring, which is great for cycling. If I had to point out negatives, I would say the traffic, particularly around Alamo Ranch.
