A review by christines_booked
Stigmatized: A Hero's Journey by Ashley Wynn-Grimes

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

When I found out that Ashley had written and self-published a book about her journey as a nurse, I was excited to read it. It then promptly sat on my coffee table for several months as my “to be read” list grew longer by the day. Books tend to find me when the time is right, and something called me to pick it up yesterday. I could not put it down. Ashley reflects on her life up to this point, from a young high school student with a plan to be a pediatrician (I’ve so been there),  making the decision to go to nursing school, to now—putting real thought into the stumbling blocks and challenges she’s encountered along the way, and describing how these things actually helped her to grow. She breaks down the issues that nurses are dealing with on a daily basis in the system, inserts her personal experiences on becoming a mom and trying to balance her family, and ties it all up with how she got into the flow and found her true passion and purpose. I didn’t know what to expect reading this book as “not a nurse”, but I found her words to be so inspiring and thought-provoking in reflecting on my own career, life and goals. Ashley Wynn-Grimes is also the author of Asa’s Medicine, a children’s book about about a young boy who is able to go to school because he takes medical cannabis, as well as the founder of Cannabis Nursing Solutions. Ashley, you are both a survivor and a hero.