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Members of the nursing faculty at Utah Career College (UCC) are experienced professionals dedicated to student success. Since class sizes in the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program are limited, students have ready access to instructors, receive the help they need to master challenging material and benefit from close mentoring relationships. Below are instructor profiles. If you have any questions, please contact UCC and a representative will be happy to help you.
Nursing instructor and staff profiles
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Carolyn "CJ" Ewell
Carolyn "CJ" Ewell is a master’s prepared family nurse practitioner now on faculty at Utah Career College. Carolyn completed her AD program at Salt Lake Community College in 1991, earning High Honors, and took a position in medical-surgical/oncology at St. Mark’s Hospital. She continued her education, completing her BSN at Weber State University in 1994 Magna Cum Laude. While at Weber State University, she was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Theta Tau. Also in 1994, she transferred to the critical care unit at St. Mark’s. While in that position, she earned national certification as a critical-care registered nurse (CCRN). Carolyn completed her master’s degree in the family nurse practitioner program at the University of Utah in 1996 and maintains national certification as a family nurse practitioner.
In 1997 Carolyn began practice in an internal medicine practice which included an endocrinologist, and established an urgent care track for that group. Carolyn’s love of critical care kept her active in bedside patient care, working for a staffing agency on the Wasatch Front.
In 2005 Carolyn joined the medical services staff at the Utah State Hospital, where she currently provides primary care services. This experience has provided her with a unique insight into the needs of mentally ill individuals.
In 2002 Carolyn began her career in nursing education at the Medical Careers Development Center. In 2006, she joined the faculty at Provo College, where she developed the pharmacology courses for first and second year AD students. Carolyn joined the faculty of Utah Career College in July 2008 and is excited to be able to share her knowledge with UCC students. Carolyn is certified with the American Heart Association as an instructor for both basic life support and advanced cardiac life support courses.
Carolyn is active as a volunteer with the Provo City Community Emergency Response Team, the United Way Volunteer Clinic in Provo, and serves as the Chairperson of the Government Relations Committee for the Utah Nurses Association.
Carolyn presents NCLEX-RN review sessions for students and graduates of Utah Career College.
Alisa Garrett
Alisa Garrett graduated in 2004 from the University of Utah with a Master's in Nursing, Adult Nurse Practitioner emphasis. She is licensed as an APRN but continues to practice as an ICU RN as she has since her graduation with her Bachelor's in Nursing from the University of Utah in 1991. She has split her time in the ICU with psychiatric nursing. She obtained a Bachelors in Psychology in 1981 from Kent State University and completed 45 graduate hours toward a Master's in Clinical Psychology at The University of Idaho. She is currently enrolled at Walden University as a PhD student in Health Psychology. Her main interest is in the mind-body connection and the effect of attitudes and behaviors on one's physical health. She has been a research assistant and a graduate assistant and has worked for The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at the University of Utah, where her teaching experience began. She hopes to teach full time once she obtains her PhD and to work with the veteran population with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to promote wellness, resilience, and stress reduction for this honorable population.
Randy Hanson
Randy Hanson currently teaches in the Nursing Program. He received his BSN from Brigham Young University and also holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Nursing. Additionally he completed a Master’s Certificate in Clinical Informatics.
He enjoys teaching all nursing subjects and doing clinical rotations at the hospitals in the valley with the students. He is married, has a daughter and two dogs and dreams of someday owning a Harley Davidson.
He loves being involved in teaching and sharing his passion for education and learning.
He believes the greatest legacy we pass on is our knowledge that we gained. He strives hard to accomplish this.
Janica Johnson, FNP-BC, Interim Program Chair
Janica graduated from the University of Utah College of Nursing in 1979 with a BSN in Nursing. She worked with sick infants at Primary Children's Medical Center until 1982. She transferred to Logan Regional Hospital where she worked in NBICU and well baby nursery, Mother/baby and Labor and Delivery. In 1985 she moved with her family to Southern Utah where she worked as Home Health Director, then Nursing Administrator at Gunnison Valley Hospital for 12 years. During that time, the hospital was renovated, she served on the State Board of Nursing two consecutive terms, served on numerous UHA board committees, was an active member in the Rural Nurse Administrators of Utah group, and served one term as President of Nurse Administrators of Utah.
She graduated with a Masters in Nursing in family practice in 1998 from the University of Utah Outreach Program. In 1998 she took a position with Central Valley Medical Center and moved her family to Nephi to assist with building a new hospital. There she served as Nurse Administrator, working with four rural hospitals in the corporation establishing Corporate Compliance/QA programs implementing national patient safety standards. In 2003 it was necessary for Janica to move to Salt Lake City for personal reasons, where she worked in Home Care for two years and managed an onsite construction injury clinic for a large chemical plant building for three years. She joined the UCC staff in July of 2008.
Janica has always enjoyed working with new graduate nurses and student nurses in the hospital setting, always knew her career would be directed toward education, and has enjoyed sharing her knowledge in that way.
Shirley B. Oberg, RN, MSN (Adjunct faculty member)
Charlene Russell, R.N., MS
Susan Sterner-Howe, RN, BA, BSN, MSN (Adjunct faculty liaison)
Rod K. Storms, MS, RN (Clinical Instructor, Nursing)
Rod K. Storms has been involved with teaching and instructing since his teenage years. Most of that early teaching involved athletics and/or physical skills. Starting in 1969, he taught swimming and lifesaving as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI), while working as a lifeguard at a local pool.
In the mid-1970’s, after training in the United States Marine Corp (USMC) and with the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD), he became a firearms and marksmanship instructor on a part time basis. During that time he spent several years teaching trampoline, gymnastics, racquetball, and squash at a local gym.
During his undergraduate years, he tutored physics, mathematics and chemistry while attending the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) and Weber State University. After completing an apprenticeship and becoming a licensed massage therapist, he started his own business and then taught several apprentices who also became licensed massage therapists.
He started his nursing career in 1992 at Westminster College, receiving his BSN in 1994, and receiving “Class Honors” for “Excellence in Clinical Practice” and “Peer Relations.” He started working as a RN in a Progressive Care Unit (step-down ICU) and later moved to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), at Primary Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), at which time he enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Utah (Graduated in 1998).
Rod started working in the Emergency Department at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center after graduating from the University of Utah FNP Program. He then worked as a traveling RN in Emergency Departments throughout the southwest. He remained involved with nursing education as a “Preceptor” and “Nursing Resource” in the various Emergency Departments in which He worked (with both nursing students and/or new hired employees) in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson.
Rod returned to Salt Lake City, working in the ER and teaching with Utah Career College (UCC). He has taught Anatomy/Physiology, Pharmacology, Medical Surgical Nursing, Lab Instructor, and Nursing Fundamentals, and is now the full time Clinical Nursing Instructor for UCC. Rod has been instrumental in moving the new clinical curriculum forward.
Contact us, visit us, learn more
Instructors in the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree program at Utah Career College provide students with professional mentoring, academic feedback and clinical supervision, guiding them as they complete rigorous coursework in preparation for rewarding careers in nursing.
For more program information, or if you have any questions, please call our West Jordan campus (801-304-4224) or e-mail our admissions office. A representative will be happy to help you.