102 Applications: PSYC100 Alumni in Emergency Department Nursing
By Emily Ross, Riley J.T. Bonar, and Meghan E. Norris
This brings us to the end of our last unit exploring topics related to mental health in the context of clinical psychology. Highlighting the importance of compassionate care, we would like to introduce a PSYC100 alumnus who is applying her knowledge, skills, abilities, and care in the field of nursing. She is doing this in an especially busy context: the emergency department.
Introducing, Emily Ross!
Emily Ross is a registered nurse who graduated from Queen’s in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology! Emily pursued nursing because she wanted a career where she could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives during some of their most vulnerable moments. Emily was drawn to the fast-paced, problem-solving nature of emergency nursing and the opportunity to combine critical thinking with compassionate patient care. Emily also enjoys working as part of a multidisciplinary team and continuously learning in a dynamic healthcare environment. A typical day in the life of Emily as an Emergency Department Registered Nurse is highly variable, as no two shifts are the same! Her job involves assessing patients, administering medications, monitoring conditions, coordinating with the healthcare team, responding to emergencies, and educating patients and families. Priorities can change quickly, requiring strong critical thinking and adaptability. Emily says that “you truly do learn something new every day.”
Psychological science is an important part of Emily’s daily work. Understanding stress, anxiety, trauma, grief and human behaviour help her communicate effectively, build trust with patients, de-escalate difficult situations, and provide compassionate, patient-centred care. Emily’s background in psychology also supports teamwork and informed decision-making in a fast-paced environment.
By taking PSYC 100, you join a vast community that contains members who have graduated and had a variety of experiences! We caught up with Emily and asked what her favourite memory from PSYC 100 was. Emily told us that one of her favourite memories from PSYC 100 was how it introduced her to the science behind human behaviour, which sparked a long-lasting interest in psychology throughout her undergraduate degree and beyond. One of the most rewarding experiences that came as a result of PSYC100 was being a Teaching Assistant for the course in her fourth year. Emily found it to be incredibly fulfilling to help first-year students learn the material and support them as they adjusted to university, while reinforcing her own appreciation for psychological science. Emily] also offered some advice about careers to students currently taking PSYC 100 and said that it is so important to stay curious. PSYC100 is about much more than memorizing theories—it is about learning how psychology applies to everyday life. Ask questions, participate in class, think critically, and take advantage of opportunities to get involved outside the classroom. Not only is this a skillset that is helpful to establish early on in your undergraduate degree, but it is also valuable in any career path you choose!
If you are considering nursing, Emily’s advice is to explore all of your options. Ontario offers both traditional four-year and compressed or accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) programs, so there are pathways for students coming straight from high school or those who already have a university degree. Before applying, learn about the profession by volunteering, job shadowing, or speaking with nurses in different specialties. Emily also recommends reviewing the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) Practice Standards to better understand the professional expectations of nurses in Ontario. Nursing is a challenging but incredibly rewarding career that offers endless opportunities to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.
As we talk about the importance of people, we would like to remind you of the opportunity of taking modules independently through the Queen’s Human Rights and Equity Office, or combining modules towards the curated program created between PSYC100 and the Queen’s University Human Rights and Equity Office. A friendly reminder that this is an optional program, offered to help meet student requests for professional development in areas often of interest to them. The modules offered through this program are not for credit. We offer this program as a way of building non-credit professional development opportunities in areas commonly of interest to students in this course.
To complete the program, over the duration of this course, you must complete 4 out of the below 8 training modules. These modules take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. Modules must be completed before the last day of classes to earn the certificate of completion. After the last day of classes, a list will be run to identify students who have completed at least 4 of the modules below. You will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Queen’s University Human Rights and Equity Office titled “Queen’s HREO Foundations in I-EDIAA: A pilot in partnership with PSYC100 for 2026-2027”
If you complete fewer than 4 modules, this is still meaningful professional development! You can still list individual modules as completed on your resume, not linking it to the program directly.
Here are the modules for you to select from (you must complete at least 4 to earn the Certificate of Completion, but you can complete more!):
Reflecting on Positionality for Learners
Harassment and Discrimination Module for Students
References:
College of Nurses of Ontario. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cno.org/
How to cite this resource:
Ross, E., Bonar, R.J.T., & Norris, M.E. (2026). Applications: PSYC100 Alumni in Emergency Department Nursing. In PSYC 100: Principles of psychology. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/testbookje/chapter/applications-psyc100-alumni-in-emergency-department-nursing/
