Skip to content
Back to Search

Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon
PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN

he, him
Photo of Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon

irakg@uw.edu

Accepting PhD Students

Associate Professor

Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing

Profile

Associate Professor
Certified Nurse-Midwife, Providence Medical Group, Everett, WA
Deputy Editor, Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health

With over 25 years of clinical experience as a nurse-midwife, my research program focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting. I employ both qualitative and quantitative methods in my work, with a particular emphasis on reducing stress during pregnancy through mindfulness techniques. Additionally, I explore the impact of stigma on pregnant individuals with perinatal opioid use disorder.

As a journal and textbook editor, I am passionate about helping authors improve their scientific writing and promoting the use of respectful, inclusive language.

Research Interests
  • Health Equity
  • Innovative Interventions
  • Lifespan Health
  • Symptom Science
Degrees & Education
  • Ph.D., Washington State University, 2013
  • M.N., University of Washington, 1998
  • B.S.N., University of Washington, 1995
  • B.Sc., Brown University, 1990
Professional Licensures & Certifications
  • ARNP Midwife, 1998, Virginia
Journal Articles
  • Canty, Lucinda, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2024. "Understanding Positionality and Reflexivity in Scholarly Writing." Journal of midwifery & women's health 69. 453-454.
  • Avery, Melissa , Hunter, Linda , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2024. "Respectful and Inclusive Language in Scholarly Writing." Journal of midwifery & women's health 69. 7-8.
  • Altman, Molly , Sherley, Clare, Lazarus, Judy, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Ward, Teresa . 2024. "Transformative justice to support truth and reconciliation within nurse-midwifery education." Nursing inquiry. e12660.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12660
  • Liu, Wenjia, Lewis, Frances Marcu, Li, Min, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2024. "Development of a common dyadic coping scale in couples facing breast cancer: the importance of open communication." Journal of psychosocial oncology 42. 604-621.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2024.2303523
  • Liu, Wenjia, Lewis, Frances Marcu, Oxford, Monica, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2024. "Common dyadic coping and its congruence in couples facing breast cancer: The impact on couples' psychological distress." Psycho-oncology 33. e6314.
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Avery, Melissa . 2023. "Mindfulness for Midwives: Supporting Health and Well-Being for Our Clients and Ourselves." Journal of midwifery & women's health 68. 561-562.
  • Lengua, Liliana , Thompson, Stephanie , Calhoun, Rebecca, Long, Robyn , Price, Cynthia, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Shimomaeda, Lisa, Nurius, Paula , Katz, Lynn Fainsilbe, Sommerville, Jessica, Booth-LaForce, Cathryn, Treadway, Anna, Metje, Alina, Whiley, Dannielle , Moini, Natasha. 2023. "Preliminary Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Perinatal Mindfulness-Based Well-Being and Parenting Programs for Low-Income New Mothers." Mindfulness 14. 933-952.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02096-6
  • Avery, Melissa , Hunter, Linda , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2023. "Senior Editors' Response to Letters on Melanated Group Midwifery Care: Centering the Voices of the Black Birthing Community." Journal of midwifery & women's health 68. 407.
  • Avery, Melissa , Hunter, Linda , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2023. "Reflecting on 2022 and Moving Forward in 2023." Journal of midwifery & women's health 68. 7-8.
  • Shook, Alic , Tordoff, Diana , Clark, April, Hardwick, Robin, St Pierre Nelson, Will, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2022. "Trans Youth Talk Back: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of Transgender Minors' Accounts of Healthcare Access." Qualitative health research 32. 1672-1689.
    https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221114801
  • Jacobsen, Katherine , Katon, Jodie , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2022. "Midwifery in the Time of COVID-19: An Exploratory Study from the Perspectives of Community Midwives." Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health 32. 564-570.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2022.06.009
  • Wood, Natsuko , Barbosa-Leiker, Celesina, Odom-Maryon, Tamara, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Reifsnider, Elizabeth, Helfrich-Miller, Kathleen . 2022. "Instrument Development and Psychometric Validation Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Breastfeeding Relationship Scale." Journal of nursing measurement 30. 449-463.
    https://doi.org/10.1891/JNM-D-20-00139
  • Shook, Alic G, Tordoff, Diana M, Clark, April, Hardwick, Robin, St. Pierre Nelson, Will, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2022. "Age, Autonomy, and Authority of Knowledge: Discursive Constructions of Youth Decision-Making Capacity and Parental Support in Transgender Minors’ Accounts of Healthcare Access." Journal of Adolescent Research 39. SAGE Publications: 104-132.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/07435584221115351
    https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221115351
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2021. "A New Normal After the COVID-19 Pandemic." Journal of midwifery & women's health 66. 293-294.
  • Eagen-Torkko, Meghan, Altman, Molly , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Gavin, Amelia, Mohammed, Selina. 2021. "Moral Distress, Trauma, and Uncertainty for Midwives Practicing During a Pandemic." Journal of midwifery & women's health 66. 304-307.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13260
  • Altman, Molly , Gavin, Amelia , Eagen-Torkko, Meghan , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Khosa, Rue , Mohammed, Selina . 2021. "Where the System Failed: The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Pregnancy and Birth Care." Global qualitative nursing research 8. 23333936211006397.
    https://doi.org/10.1177/23333936211006397
  • Altman, Molly , Eagen-Torkko, Meghan , Mohammed, Selina , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Khosa, Rue , Gavin, Amelia . 2021. "The impact of COVID-19 visitor policy restrictions on birthing communities of colour." Journal of advanced nursing 77. 4827-4835.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14991
  • Busse, Morgan , Kim, Jane, Unite, Marianne, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Altman, Molly . 2021. "Nurses' Priorities for Improving Pregnancy and Birth Care for Individuals with Opioid use Disorder." Journal of midwifery & women's health 66. 656-663.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13267
  • Murphy, Patricia Aikin, Likis, Frances , King, Tekoa , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2021. "Honoring Authorship Responsibilities in Manuscript Preparation." Journal of midwifery & women's health 66. 143-144.
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2020. "Ethics of Midwifery Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic." Journal of midwifery & women's health 65. 731-732.
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, McCurry, Susan , Landis, Carol , Lee, Rachel, Wi, Dahee. 2020. "Online prenatal trial in mindfulness sleep management (OPTIMISM): protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial." Pilot and feasibility studies 6. 128.
    https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-020-00675-1
  • Bly, K , Ellis, Simon Adrian, Ritter, Rachel , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2020. "A Survey of Midwives' Attitudes Toward Men in Midwifery." Journal of midwifery & women's health 65. 199-207.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13060
  • Alzawad, Zainab, Lewis, Frances Marcu, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Howells, Amy . 2020. "A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Riding a Roller Coaster." Journal of pediatric nursing 51. 8-14.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2019.11.015
  • Price, Cynthia, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Calhoun, Rebecca. 2019. "A pilot feasibility study of mindfulness childbirth education for women with a history of sexual trauma." Complementary therapies in clinical practice 37. 102-108.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.09.005
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Cunningham, Emma, Reynolds, Nicole. 2019. "Measurement of Maternal Mindful Awareness of Fetal Movement." Journal of midwifery & women's health 64. 604-612.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12981
  • Altman, Molly , Oseguera, Talita, McLemore, Monica , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Franck, Linda , Lyndon, Audrey. 2019. "Information and power: Women of color's experiences interacting with health care providers in pregnancy and birth." Social science & medicine (1982) 238. 112491.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112491
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Hays, Karen, Kayode, Olumide, Kumar, Aditya , Kaplan, Henry , Reid, Joel , Safgren, Stephanie , Ames, Matthew , Easterling, Thomas , Hebert, Mary . 2018. "Pharmacokinetics of dacarbazine (DTIC) in pregnancy." Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology 81. 455-460.
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Abbott, Shannon, Hoehn, Rachel. 2018. "Experiences of Postpartum Women after Mindfulness Childbirth Classes: A Qualitative Study." Journal of midwifery & women's health 63. 462-469.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12734
  • Ryu, Rachel , Easterling, Thomas , Caritis, Steve , Venkataramanan, Raman, Umans, Jason , Ahmed, Mahmoud , Clark, Shannon, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Hays, Karen, Bennett, Brooke, Honaker, Matthew , Thummel, Kenneth , Shen, Danny , Hebert, Mary . 2018. "Prednisone Pharmacokinetics During Pregnancy and Lactation." Journal of clinical pharmacology 58. 1223-1232.
    https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.1122
  • Price, Rebecca , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Gordon, Sharona . 2018. "Competing Discourses of Scientific Identity among Postdoctoral Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences." CBE life sciences education 17. ar29.
    https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-08-0177
  • Price, Rebecca M, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Gordon, Sharona E. 2018. "Competing Discourses of Scientific Identity among Postdoctoral Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences." CBE—Life Sciences Education 17. American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB): ar29.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-08-0177
    https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-08-0177
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Vandermause, Roxanne. 2016. "Metaphors of Distress: Photo-Elicitation Enhances a Discourse Analysis of Parents' Accounts." Qualitative health research 26. 1031-43.
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315575729
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Altman, Molly , Vandermause, Roxanne. 2016. "Prolonged Distress of Parents After Early Preterm Birth." Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN 45. 196-209.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2015.12.004
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Vandermause, Roxanne. 2015. "Metaphors of Distress: Photo-Elicitation Enhances a Discourse Analysis of Parents’ Accounts." Qualitative Health Research 26. SAGE Publications: 1031-1043.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732315575729
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315575729
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Adriane Ellis, Simon, McFarlane, Ann. 2014. "Men in Midwifery: A National Survey." Journal of midwifery & women's health 59. 516-22.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12191
  • Lawrence, Rachel, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Landis, Andrea. 2014. "Student midwives' duty hours: risks, standards, and recommendations." Journal of midwifery & women's health 59. 127-40.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12053
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2013. "Internet confessions of postpartum depression." Issues in mental health nursing 34. 874-82.
    https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2013.806618
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. 2013. "Expanded care for women and families after preterm birth." Journal of midwifery & women's health 58. 158-66.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-2011.2012.00242.x
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Bennett, Deborah, Wise Stauffer, Debra, Champ-Gibson, Erla, Fitzgerald, Cynthia, Corbett, Cynthia. 2013. "Facilitated family presence at resuscitation: effectiveness of a nursing student toolkit." Nurse education today 33. 1258-63.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2012.08.009
  • Fitzgerald, Cynthia, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Katz, Janet, Hirsch, Anne. 2012. "Advanced practice nursing education: challenges and strategies." Nursing research and practice 2012. 854918.
    https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/854918
  • Fitzgerald, Cynthia, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Katz, Janet, Hirsch, Anne. 2012. "Advanced Practice Nursing Education: Challenges and Strategies." Nursing Research and Practice 2012. Hindawi Limited: 1-8.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/854918
    https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/854918
  • Lydon-Rochelle, Mona , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Tower, Martha J Jod, Trego, Lori, Lagerberg, Ruth. 2002. "Midwifery education roundtable discussion: transitions to the workplace." Journal of midwifery & women's health 47. 50-5.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/s1526-9523(01)00215-x
  • Zierler, S, Feingold, L, Laufer, D, Velentgas, P, Kantrowitz-Gordon, I, Mayer, K. 1991. "Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and subsequent risk of HIV infection." American journal of public health 81. 572-5.
    https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.81.5.572
  • Zierler, S, Laufer, D, Feingold, L, Kantrowitz-Gordon, I, Carpenter, C, Mayer, K. 1990. "Heterosexual behavior and HIV infection: the New England Behavioral Health Study." Rhode Island medical journal 73. 285-92.
  • Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Price, Cynthia, Rudolf, Vania, Downey, Georgia, Castagnola, Kelsey. "Exploring Perinatal Nursing Care for Opioid Use Disorder: Knowledge, Stigma, and Compassion." The Journal of perinatal & neonatal nursing 36. 353-361.
    https://doi.org/10.1097/JPN.0000000000000587
  • Kim, Jane, Busse, Morgan, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Altman, Molly . "Health Care Experiences During Pregnancy and Parenting with an Opioid Use Disorder." MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing 47. 100-106.
    https://doi.org/10.1097/NMC.0000000000000805
  • Altman, Molly , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Moise, Elba, Malcolm, Katie, Vidaković, Milan, Barrington, Wendy, O'Connor, M Rebecc, de Castro, A . "Addressing Positionality Within Case-Based Learning to Mitigate Systemic Racism in Health Care." Nurse educator 46. 284-289.
    https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000937
  • Altman, Molly , Busse, Morgan, Kim, Jane, Ervin, Ayla, Unite, Marianne, Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira. "Community-led Priority Setting for Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy and Parenting." Journal of addiction medicine 15. 414-420.
    https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000000783
  • Altman, Molly , Mohammed, Selina , Eagen-Torkko, Meghan , Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira, Gavin, Amelia . "Losing Connection: Experiences of Virtual Pregnancy and Postpartum Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic." The Journal of perinatal & neonatal nursing 37. 44-49.
    https://doi.org/10.1097/JPN.0000000000000704
Classes
  • NCLIN 475: Foundations of Interprofessional Practice
  • NCLIN 501: Diagnostic Health Assessment
  • NMETH 403: Introduction to Research in Nursing
  • NMETH 499: Undergraduate Research
  • NMETH 582: Qualitative Research Inquiry and Methods
  • NMETH 801: Practice Doctorate Project
  • NURS 419: Transition to Professional Practice
  • NURS 445: Special Topics in Nursing
  • NURS 514: Physiologic Adaptations During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • NURS 542: Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Practice Nursing: Childbearing I
  • NURS 610: Teaching Practicum
Grants
  • Center for Innovation in Sleep Self-Management (CISSM), National Institute of Nursing Research