Dr. Lewallen graduated with her MSN at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 2009 with a specialty in Adult Gerontological Advanced Practice Nursing. 

She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Belmont University in 2015. Her DNP scholarly project was titled Improving Nurses Knowledge of Delirium in Post Acute Care and Implementation of the RADAR Screening Tool at two Post Acute Care Facilities in the United States.

She has worked as an advanced practice nurse in post acute/long term care since 2009 and her current clinical practice is with Vanderbilt Senior Care. Prior to her role as an APRN she worked as a registered nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 

Dr. Lewallen joined the faculty at VUSN in January of 2014 with a primary focus of teaching in the Adult Gerontology Primary Care program.  p She has partnered with the VUMC Center For Quality Aging on multiple grants focused around improving care for the older adult. In 2023 she was hired as the Program Director for the Tennessee Valley Health System Geriatrics and Extended Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. This program provides post graduate training to new graduate nurse practitioner interested in geriatrics and future employment at the VA.