Weight Stigma in Nursing Practice

In this episode we delve into weight stigma and size bias in health systems. We dispel some myths that equate a person’s body size with their health, and explore how nurses can mitigate the harms of these assumptions through research and practice. We are joined by two nurse-midwives who research, write, and practice at this intersection: Dr. Ellen Solis and Elizabeth Muñoz.Dr. Ellen Solis, DNP, CNM, FACNM (she/her) is a Teaching Professor at the University of Washington and the specialty director of the nurse-midwifery program and the Graduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health (GCSRH) and is the co-director of the UW-ACTIONS (Abortion Care Training Incubator for Outstanding Nurse Scholars) program. She is also a practicing nurse-midwife in Seattle and the board secretary of Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health. As a midwife, and educator, Ellen is committed to centering the voices of her clients, students, and colleagues—especially those from BIPOC and queer communities—and working towards increasing their voices in healthcare, education, and policy development. Elizabeth Muñoz, DNP, CNM, FACNM (she/her) is a Certified Nurse-Midwife with experience in midwifery education, scholarship, and clinical practice. She is a Fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, TN. Her scholarship activities include integrating nurse-midwifery models of care in rural Alabama through the AL MOMS HRSA Grant at UAB School of Nursing, preventing size-bias in those providing pregnancy care, and innovation in nurse-midwifery clinical education. Dr. Muñoz is also passionate about improving access to full-scope midwifery care and expanding public knowledge about midwifery, including deepening the understanding that midwives can lead the charge for practice change in various settings.Resources (to link in episode description) Health at Every Size® (HAES®) Principles – ASDAHPlus Size BirthPlus Mommy PodcastEvidence Based Birth® PodcastThe Fat Studies Reader Edited by Esther Rothblum and Sondra Solovay; Foreword by Marilyn WannFearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings