By Nicole Kreimer, DNP, MSN, RN, PHNA-BC

Part of the mission of Research College of Nursing is “caring for our community” and students, faculty and staff have taken that to heart. During the spring of 2026, Research College of Nursing has coordinated community service opportunities at Harvesters, Journey to New Life, Cross-lines, Happy Bottoms, and KC Farm School at Gibbs Road. When asked what opportunity she liked the best, student Jennifer Spangler (ABSN ’26) said, “My favorite place to volunteer was Journey to New Life, where we spent a beautiful, sunny day building a raised vegetable garden. I admire the organization’s work supporting women as they rebuild their lives after incarceration.” In addition to gardening, volunteers have sorted food, helped with farm clean up, and packaged diapers. So far in 2026, students have given 120 hours of volunteer hours to community service opportunities coordinated plus 363.5 volunteer hours in other volunteer activities.

When asked why they volunteer TBSN ’27 student Jonelle Washington said “It exposes me to the real needs of others and shows me the hard work required to ensure food and essential resources are accessible to those who depend on them,” and Cynee Soria (TBSN ’26) said, “Volunteering is another opportunity for me to help others but most especially people that need help the most. I’m someone who advocates for a holistic approach to health and being able to educate anyone I meet or provide services they may not otherwise receive fills my heart with warmth. It reminds me of why I became a nurse.” As 2026 continues, we look forward to caring for our community in many more ways and in many more organizations.

Our students and faculty came together to support Happy Bottoms, Kansas City’s diaper distribution center that provides essential resources to families across the region.

Volunteers spent the day sorting and packing diapers in the warehouse. These tasks may seem small, but they create a meaningful impact for families experiencing diaper insecurity. Their time and teamwork directly support an organization that plays a vital role in our community.

We are proud of the compassion, dedication, and service‑minded spirit shown by our RCoN community. Engagement efforts like this reflect our commitment to supporting others and strengthening the world beyond our campus.

April 5, 2021

Kansas City, Missouri – More than 140 Research College of Nursing students, faculty, and non-clinical staff recently volunteered to help facilitate Research Medical Center’s first community COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

The two-day event enabled 1,200 community members to receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine. The Research College of Nursing Days of Service continued on March 11-12, when community members returned for their second vaccine dose, with volunteers again assisting with greeting, screening, escorting, data entry, vaccination, and observation.

The accelerated BSN Class of 2021 learned to administer injections ahead of the curriculum so more students and faculty could participate in administering the much-anticipated “shot of hope” to frontline workers at Research Medical Center on December 23. Accelerated nursing students who graduated from the College on December 13, 2021, returned to assist during the holidays.

“We are proud to maintain a commitment to excellence that started when Research College of Nursing was founded in 1905, and part of our mission is to not only educate nurses and develop leaders, but to care for our communities,” says Research College of Nursing President Thad R. Wilson, PhD, RN, FAAN. “It was our pleasure to join with our partners at Research Medical Center to provide one of the area’s largest community vaccine clinics.

“It was a heartwarming experience for our team that was filled with such positive feedback from our community. From the moment the public walked in the door to the moment they walked out, there was somebody there helping them, and almost always it was a Research College of Nursing student, faculty, or staff member.”

Research College of Nursing is one of the few nursing colleges in the U.S. integrated with a hospital. Sharing a campus with Research Medical Center also positioned students to be among the first in the region to administer COVID-19 vaccines. After pivoting their education to virtual settings during the pandemic, the nursing students were eager for the opportunity to step up in the fight against COVID-19.

“It is remarkable to see our students, faculty, and staff all doing their part to help end the pandemic,” says Research College of Nursing Professor and Director of Accelerated BSN Program Rebecca Saxton, PhD, RN, CNE. “Our skilled volunteers have worked in every aspect of the vaccination clinics and in some cases, actually injecting the vaccine.”

“I vaccinated people, getting valuable hands-on clinical experience,” says Research College of Nursing BSN Student ’21 Tasia Roberts. “It was wonderful to see people so excited to participate in such a life-changing moment.”

“Having the support of Research College of Nursing for our vaccine clinics was an invaluable community outreach experience for everyone involved,” says Research Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Ashley McClellan. “The aspiring nurses’ partnership, along with the staff and faculty of Research College of Nursing, allowed us to be seamless in offering compassion and camaraderie for a single purpose — to administer the vaccine, which is giving hope in the midst of the pandemic.”