Skip to main content

Sonya Carothers

Image
Image
Sonya Carothers
Family Nurse Practitioner; PhD
Content

Family Nurse Practitioner

PhD

Obtaining the Ph.D. is an accomplishment that I never envisioned as a young girl. When I became a registered nurse, the Ph.D. was not on my radar. However, as life and my circumstances changed, new and exciting opportunities arose that steered me towards, what I feel, an amazing life-time achievement. No one in my immediate family has achieved a degree of this magnitude. I am my family’s trailblazer.

I have practiced as a nurse for a total of 39 years. I acquired my master’s degree in nursing in 2008 and currently practice as a certified and licensed family nurse practitioner. When I began to entertain the idea of acquiring the Ph.D., the focus of my practice centered around women’s health. Many of my patients were aged 45 to 60 years old and were experiencing symptoms related to menopause. As a result of my female patient’s experience, I pursued and attained an additional certification as a North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP). For me, acquiring the NCMP certification solidified my credentials as someone who was dedicated to caring for the menopause-aged population. However, I felt compelled to complete research on menopause because of many patient’s inquiries and my own curiosity. Since I wanted to complete research, my next logical step was to acquire the Ph.D.

Acquiring the Ph.D. was extremely challenging and involved strict tenacity. I had a busy practice that my husband and I shared, and I saw patients full-time while operating a successful clinical practice. Running a business, taking care of my family’s needs, attending to patients and charting after hours, taking call, and bringing school into the mix as a full-time student was indeed a challenge. I am not sure how I was able to maintain doing all those things successfully with the level of attention that each required. Looking back, I really don’t know how I did it without making a sacrifice in either area – I don’t think that I slept.

Wilkes University Passan School of Nursing Ph.D. program was designed for the working person. Because of the design, I felt my dream of obtaining the Ph.D. was indeed possible but I knew it would be hard work. My husband would often say, “If it were easy, everyone would have a Ph.D., Sonya.” Well, it wasn’t easy.

I often reflect on a scripture in Proverbs, 14:23 – “All hard work brings profit. But mere talk leads only to poverty.” Now, I feel like my hard work will be profitable; not only for my patients but for menopausal-aged patients across the globe. The valuable information that was obtained in my research will be disseminated and the menopausal population may not be impoverished and lack much needed understanding. Acquiring the Ph.D. gives me substantiality and my voice credibility. I am glad to have made this journey.
 

More About Wilkes

At Wilkes, we support and applaud lifelong learning. We are constantly changing, evolving and growing to meet the needs of our online student nurses. We look ahead to the degree programs, experiences and opportunities our students will need to succeed, and that includes complimentary nursing clinical placement services.

Our online nursing programs offer a variety of options for working nurses. Whether you're looking to advance your current role or broaden your career path and pursue a new specialty, Wilkes has a flexible program for you. Going back to school is a big decision. That's why we offer the mentoring and faculty member support of skilled nurse educators you need to succeed.

Image
Advisor
Image
university

Reach Out to an Admissions Counselor

We’re here to talk about everything Wilkes, everything nursing and anything you need to make the right choice for your career. We'll even help with the application process. Call us or click the link below to start the conversation. We can’t wait! 

888-413-5633
Get Started

Out-of-State Students

Our online nursing degree programs prepare graduates to take the national board certification exam appropriate to their degree or chosen NP concentration. Please see our full list of state authorizations to determine whether our program fulfills requirements for licensure in your home state. Wilkes University will not be able to place any students who move to an unauthorized state before or during the program and this may impact your ability to continue with the program.

Primary State of Residence (PSOR)

Your PSOR is the state in which you declare as your primary residence for legal purposes. Sources used to verify your PSOR may include driver's license, federal income tax return, or voter registration. Only one state can be identified as the primary state of legal residence.

Back to top