Witnessing discrimination in healthcare has transformed Hannah from someone who once stayed silent into an active advocate who creates safe and respectful environments for all patients.

Hannah Shaw is pursuing a doctorate in nurse-midwifery at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. Hannah earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Belmont University in 2019, graduating cum laude and as a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society for outstanding nursing students.

For six years, Hannah has dedicated herself to labor and delivery nursing. Her career began at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s high-risk labor and delivery unit, where she developed expertise in complex obstetric care and patient advocacy. She later spent two years as a travel nurse, with assignments taking her across the country to New York, Maine, Arizona, and New Jersey. In that role, Hannah refined her clinical skills in diverse healthcare settings. Each assignment deepened her understanding of the breadth of challenges facing birthing families and reinforced her commitment to providing inclusive, trauma-informed care.

Hannah is proudly queer. Her experience as a queer woman in healthcare has shaped her approach to advocacy. She is attuned to the discrimination that LGBTQ+ patients face, and she is not afraid to speak up for her patients from marginalized identities. Witnessing discrimination in healthcare has transformed Hannah from someone who once stayed silent into an active advocate who creates safe and respectful environments for all patients.

Hannah currently works at Trinity Health Ann Arbor, where she has fallen in love with labor and delivery care anew. It is this love that inspired her decision to pursue a career as a nurse-midwife. Her vision for success centers on providing continuity of care that empowers patients through education, trust-building, and evidence-based practice. Hannah is particularly passionate about addressing the maternal health crisis through patient-centered care that honors individual experiences and promotes informed decision-making.

CEW+ supports Hannah’s fearless advocacy for her patients and names her a Margaret Dow Towsley Scholar.