First Aid and First Downs: Texas Nursing Grad Amanda Martinez Helps Longhorn Fans and Students
On fall Saturdays, the energy inside Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium is electric. While more than 100,000 fans cheer for the Longhorns, another team works behind the scenes to keep those fans safe.
Among them is The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing alumna Amanda Martinez, MSN ‘23, RN. She’s an ER nurse with the St. David’s HealthCare event medical team, the official health care sponsor and emergency services provider for Texas Athletics.
Getting Back to the Game
The event medical team staffs first-aid rooms throughout the stadium to provide emergency care on game days.
“Working at the games is a unique experience—there’s an electric energy in the air, and you get to be part of something bigger than yourself,” Martinez said. “My favorite part is the camaraderie among the medical team and being able to help people in a high-energy, dynamic environment. There’s something really meaningful about helping someone who comes into the first aid station not feeling well and getting them to a point where they can safely return to the game and enjoy the rest of the event. It’s a rewarding way to support the Longhorns while doing meaningful, hands-on work that directly impacts people’s experience.”
From dehydration and heat exhaustion to sprains and even cardiac events, the medical team is ready for anything.
“Aside from the adrenaline and the team atmosphere, I really enjoy the opportunity to make a positive impact in unexpected moments,” she added. “Whether it’s helping someone who’s lightheaded from the heat or calming a panicked family member, those interactions remind me why I became a nurse.”
That same drive to serve others carries into her daily work at the UT Austin School of Nursing, where Martinez is the nurse academic success coordinator and Peer Academic Coaching Coordinator.
In this role, she supports nursing students through mentorship, academic resources and peer-led coaching designed to build resilience and confidence.
A Global Journey Toward Nursing
Martinez’s path to nursing started long before she put on burnt orange scrubs. After completing her undergraduate degree in biology at UT Austin’s College of Natural Sciences, she worked alongside Sharon Brown, PhD, RN, FAAN, Joseph H. Blades Centennial Memorial Professor Emerita in Nursing, and Mary Winter, MSN, RN, a member of the Program Evaluation Team for the School of Nursing, on a diabetes prevention study in Starr County.
“That experience gave me firsthand insight into the social and cultural factors that influence health, especially in underserved communities,” Martinez said. “Both Dr. Brown and Mary Winter were incredible mentors who deeply inspired my decision to pursue nursing. They showed me how nurses can lead community-based research and implement practical solutions to improve long-term health outcomes.”
Her passion for global health and community-based care only deepened during two years in the Peace Corps in Rwanda, where she worked as a maternal and child health volunteer. There, she collaborated with nurses and community health workers on initiatives to improve child nutrition and health.
“I learned to speak Kinyarwanda and immersed myself in the local culture, which taught me the importance of humility, listening and partnership in health care,” she added.
One of her most impactful projects, a United States Agency for International Development-funded permagardening and pig husbandry initiative, helped 72 families combat childhood malnutrition through sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry.
Becoming a Longhorn Nurse
Inspired by her mentors and global service, Martinez pursued graduate education at the School of Nursing, enrolling in the Alternate Entry Master of Science in Nursing Leadership in Diverse Settings program.
Even before beginning her current staff role, she remained connected to the School of Nursing by serving as a clinical teaching assistant immediately after graduation, working alongside Li-Chen Lin, PhD, RN, CNRN, clinical associate professor, and Esther Nwokocha, MSN, RN, clinical instructor.
During graduate school, Martinez worked as a teaching assistant in the Simulation and Skills Lab, where she supported students in developing confidence and competence through a collaborative, hands-on learning environment.
“Those roles deepened my appreciation for education and mentorship, and they reminded me just how meaningful it is to invest in the next generation of nurses,” Martinez added. “Being part of the staff now feels like a natural continuation of that commitment.
“Coming back felt like a full-circle moment,” she continued. “UT gave me the foundation to thrive as a nurse, and I wanted to give back to the place that helped shape me—both academically and personally.”
A Calling in Emergency Nursing
Her clinical career began in the emergency department at St. David’s, where she discovered her passion for the fast-paced, collaborative environment.
Martinez shared how she was drawn to the energy, pace and high level of collaboration required in the ER. Her experience at St. David’s solidified her interest in emergency nursing, so when she graduated, she was fortunate to transition directly into a new graduate RN position in that very same emergency department.
“It was an ideal environment for a new nurse—I had strong mentorship, a supportive team and exposure to a wide range of patient scenarios that challenged me to grow quickly,” she added. “The ER demands a unique blend of quick thinking, adaptability and compassion, and I found that it aligned perfectly with both my personality and professional goals. Every shift brings new challenges—no two days are the same—and that constant learning keeps me deeply engaged in my work. There’s also a strong sense of collaboration with doctors, paramedics, and other nurses, which makes even the most intense days feel purposeful and team-driven.”
Martinez sees emergency nursing as more than acute care. One of the most fulfilling aspects of emergency nursing for her is seeing the immediate impact of interventions, whether it’s stabilizing a critically ill patient or simply calming someone in distress. Beyond individual care, she said ER nurses play a vital frontline role in community health.
“We're often the first point of contact for underserved populations, including individuals who lack regular access to primary care,” she explained. “In many cases, nurses are also health educators, providing patients with crucial information on injury prevention, chronic disease management, substance use and healthy habits during the discharge process. It’s a unique position to influence long-term public health outcomes in a very direct way. And in times of crisis—whether it's a natural disaster, pandemic or mass casualty event—ER nurses are essential responders, delivering care under intense pressure with calm and skill.”
Shaping the Next Generation
Now, through her role at the School of Nursing, Martinez channels her experiences back into the student community. She helps nursing students not only succeed academically but also prepare for the realities of patient care.
“UT Austin’s School of Nursing gave me a strong clinical foundation, but more importantly, it taught me to lead with empathy, think critically and advocate for patients,” she said.
Her advice to today’s students is simple but powerful: “Be open to learning—every shift, every patient and every team member can teach you something,” she added. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out mentors; the more curious and engaged you are, the more you’ll grow. Also, take care of yourself. Nursing is demanding, and prioritizing your well-being will make you a better nurse in the long run. Keep an open mind about the many paths nursing can offer—your dream career might be one you haven’t even discovered yet. Sometimes the best fit is one you discover along the way.”
A Longhorn for Life
Whether in the ER, at DKR on game day or in the School of Nursing hallways, Martinez embodies the Texas Nursing spirit of compassion, resilience and leadership.
“I just feel incredibly grateful to be part of both the UT Austin and St. David’s communities,” she concluded. “Nursing is a challenging career, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.”