71-year-old Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Veronica Charles Aims to Continue Providing and Promoting Quality Medical Care Around the World
At an age when many of her contemporaries are settling into retirement, Veronica Charles is just getting started on the next chapter of her nursing career. For the 71-year-old Charles, who recently received the United Health Foundation’s Diverse Clinician Advancement Scholarship in support of her work, earning a doctor of nursing practice degree isn’t a bucket list item to cross off—it’s part of her ultimate goal to help as many people as possible.
Charles completed the requirements for her bachelor of science in nursing at Widener University in 1993, but didn’t officially graduate until 2017, as her diploma was withheld due to unpaid fees. In the meantime, she worked a number of less lucrative jobs—in settings including nursing homes and home care—to make ends meet.
“As a single parent, I had to put food on the table and a roof over our heads,” Charles said. “Some weeks, I would put in 100 hours. I slept in my car between jobs. Coming home, I would be so tired, I would have to pull over on the side of the road and sleep to keep myself safe.”