Clinical Professor
Midwifery Graduate Program Lead
Department
Department of Health Behavior and Clinical Sciences
Contact
University of Michigan School of Nursing
400 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482
Ruth Zielinski is not accepting new PhD students.
In the News
Apr. 25, 2023: Michigan News "Medical Abortion Pill Ban: What Would it Mean for Michigan?"
Apr. 10, 2023: Michigan News "Go Ahead and Scream: Theater-based Vocal Training May Be Useful in Childbirth"
Feb. 8, 2023: Michigan Radio "Ascension Eliminates Midwives on Staff at Providence Hospital"
Apr. 27, 2022: Michigan News "Michigan Limits Reproductive Health Services that Midwives, Nurses Can Provide"
Interests
Global maternal health
Midwifery education
Optimizing pregnancy and birth outcomes
Family planning
Women’s body image/sexual health
Dr. Zielinski’s area of scholarship advances equitable, evidence-based, and person-centered reproductive and perinatal care, integrating biophysical outcomes, lived experiences, and health systems innovation to improve the health and well-being of women and families both in the U.S. and globally.
Current Research Grants and Programs
Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MatCare): Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Role: Project Coordinator
Designing and Implementing a Structured Process and Task Trainer for Teaching Digital Vaginal Examination in Labor: Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Impolite Birth: Theatre Voice Training and The Experience of Childbirth: MCUBED 3.0 University of Michigan Office of Research
Group Antenatal Care to Promote a Healthy Pregnancy and Optimize Maternal and Newborn Outcomes: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (PI – Jody Lori Ph.D., CNM)
Healthy Mothers – Healthy Communities: Improving maternal and infant health outcomes among South Sudanese refugees through community education and engagement: Richard Knapp Major Project Fund
Teaching
Dr. Zielinski has taught in the classroom and clinical areas for both undergraduate and graduate student nurses. Currently, Dr. Zielinski primarily teaches in the graduate nurse-midwifery program. Dr. Zielinski guest lectures across other areas of nursing and healthcare disciplines. She has been preceptor to a number of nurse-midwifery students, most recently in global settings such as Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and the Cayman Islands. Dr. Zielinski has served as the research advisor for undergraduate honors students as well as graduate students. She has been a speaker at many national and international conferences related to women’s health topics such as midwifery, sexual health, and maternity care.
Affilliations/Service
American College of Nurse Midwives, Member 1993 - present (several service roles)
American Nurses Association
Michigan Nurses Association
Sigma Theta Tau – Rho Chapter, Member 1995 to present
North American Menopause Society, 2026 - present
Vital Talk Faculty Training Certified, 2025 - present
Notable Awards/Honors
Daisy Award, Nurses Advancing Health Equity - Daisy Foundation 2023
Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing - 2019
Fellow in the American College of Nurse Midwives - 2014
Best Podium Presentation, Research forum – American College of Nurse-Midwives Annual Meeting 2013
Medical Activist Award – Women’s Health Foundation 2011
ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award – Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan 2010
Education
Ph.D. in Nursing and Certificate in Women’s Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 2009
MS, Nurse Midwifery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 1995
BSN, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1992
ADN, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo, MI 1988
Publications Highlights
Drummond, N., Zielinski, R., Majczak, C., & Bailey, J. (2024). Implementation of virtual antenatal and postnatal urgent midwifery visits: Evaluation of a quality improvement initiative. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(7), 903. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/7/903
Zielinski, R., Abdelnabi, S., Amankwah, G., Kukula, V., Apetorgbor, V., Awini, E., Williams, J., Moyer, C., Ghosh, B., & Lori, J. (2024). Knowledge, acceptance, and uptake of family planning: A cluster randomized controlled trial of group antenatal care in Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1025. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21081025. PMID: 39200636; PMCID: PMC11355032.
Roosevelt, L., Maguire, S., Sharma, A. & Zielinski, R. (2024). Fear of childbirth among pregnant people facing anti-fat bias. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(12), 1657. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121657
Roosevelt, L., Danford, K., & Zielinski, R. (2025). Impolite Birth: Provider perspectives on vocalization during childbirth. Birth, 52, 627-633. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12907
Lanyo, T., Lori, J., Kukula, V., Apetorgbor, V., Gosh, B., Lockhart, N., & Zielinski, R. (2025) Improving respectful maternity care through group antenatal care: Findings from a cluster randomized controlled trial. Midwifery, 147, 104457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2025.104457
Lanyo, T., Zielinski, R., & Lori, J. (2025) Impact of group antenatal care on lactational amenorrhea method awareness and knowledge: A Cluster Randomized control trial. Plos One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0333074.
Zielinski, R., Ajak, D., Drummond, N., & Lee, H. (2024) Implementation of Healthy Men Healthy Communities: A health promotion and gender-based violence prevention program for South Sudanese refugee men in Uganda. Healthcare, 12(2), 147. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38255036/
Drummond, N., Miller, A., Kramer, M., & Zielinski, R. (2024) Social media and nutritional guidelines in pregnancy. Journal of Midwifery Women's Health, 69(3), 353-360. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13645. PMID: 38766882.
Zielinski, R., Kukula, V., Apetorgbor, V., Awini, E., Moyer, C., Badu-Gyan, G., Williams, J., Lockhart, N., & Lori, J. (2023). "With group antenatal care, pregnant women know they are not alone": The process evaluation of a group of antenatal care intervention in Ghana. PLoS One, 18(11), e0291855. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291855.
Roosevelt, L., Kane-Low, L., Zielinski, R., & Seng, J. (2023). Measuring fear of childbirth among a diverse population in the United States: A revised Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Scale (WDEQ-10). Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, 68(5), 581-587. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13514.
Danford, K., Roosevelt, L., Vroom, A., Harris, L., & Zielinski, R. (2022). Impolite birth: Theatre voice training and the experience of childbirth. Voice and Speech Review, 17(2), 167-181. doi: 10.1080/23268263.2022.2137970.