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Nurse Anesthetist (NA) Staff

Kenneth M. Kirsner, JD, MS, CRNA

Director, Nurse Anesthesia Concentration

kirsner

Professor Kirsner came to Lincoln Memorial University in 2011 as Professor of Nursing and Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration. His basic nursing education was obtained at the University of Miami where he received his BSN in 1979. He continued with his education at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he received his anesthesia certificate in 1983 and his MS (Nursing) in 1985. In 1987 he returned to the University of Miami where he served as Symposium Editor of the University of Miami Law Review and received his JD (cum laude) in 1990.

Professor Kirsner began his career as an emergency department and medical intensive care unit nurse at Jackson Memorial / University of Miami Medical Center. After completing his anesthesia training he returned there as a nurse anesthetist. He practiced as a trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board before beginning his academic career in nurse anesthesia at the University of Kansas. He served as Program Director for the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Baylor College of Medicine for five years and also worked as a clinician at Ben Taub General Hospital during that time and subsequently worked at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas for nine years. In 2006 he founded the nurse anesthesia program at Florida Gulf Coast University where he served as Director for five years.

Professor Kirsner has served as an editorial board member, book review section editor and editorial committee member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Journal. His publications include articles in the legal and anesthesia literature; he has authored book chapters, including co-authoring a chapter in The Chemistry of Drugs for Nurse Anesthetists. His presentations include state and national and international meetings including 7 presentations at AANA Annual Meetings. He has also presented before the Swedish Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the World Congress for Nurse Anesthetists in Helsinki. His current research interests include the provision of anesthesia for oncologic surgical patient, patient safety and infection control in anesthesia practice. Professor Kirsner provided anesthesia care after the 2010 Hatian earthquake with Project Medishare and the University of Miami.

Outside of work Professor Kirsner enjoys running (having run 4 marathons), training in martial arts (he is a black belt in the Chayon-Ryu martial arts style), hiking (particularly in the Cumberland Gap National historical Park), scuba diving (he is a NAUI scuba instructor) and kayaking. He also enjoys studying nature and enjoys reading books of all kinds.

Joy Goins Lewis

Instructor

Joy Goins Lewis is a native of the Cumberland Gap area having been born and raised in Middlesboro, Kentucky. In the mid-1980’s Ms. Lewis left Middlesboro and moved to Lexington, Kentucky where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky in 1991. After graduation Ms. Lewis stayed in Lexington and practiced nursing at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Medical Center.

In 1999 Ms. Lewis moved to Knoxville Tennessee to continue her education at the University of Tennessee, where in 2001, she was awarded a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Anesthesia. After graduation Ms. Lewis lived and practiced in western Kentucky briefly before relocating back to Middlesboro in 2002. Ms. Lewis has practiced at most of the hospitals in the surrounding area and continues work at various local facilities on an as needed basis.

Ms. Lewis joined the faculty of the Caylor School of Nursing in May in 2010 and served as interim assistant program director from Jan 2011 to August 2011. Ms. Lewis is an instructor of nursing and clinical coordinator for the nurse anesthesia program.

When she is not at work Ms. Lewis and her family are busy remodeling the 55 year old house that they live in. She is also the wedding planner and coordinator for her church and serves on the children’s ministry team. She enjoys working in her garden, going to nearby Norris lake and any activity that involves her daughter.

Tony Johnson

Assistant Director

Tony Johnson came to Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) in 2008 as Assistant Professor of Nursing and Assistant Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration. His basic nursing education was obtained at the Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth, Florida where he received his ASN in 1993. He continued with his nursing education at the Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida where he received his BSN in 1997. He then obtained his MNA degree and CRNA certification at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in. Dr. Johnson’s DNAP was earned at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010.

Johnson began his career in 1983 as a firefighter-paramedic in South Florida. His 14 years in the fire service included time on the high rise rescue team and underwater recovery team; he also served on the city police swat rescue team. After anesthesia school, he practiced anesthesia at The Mayo Clinic, followed by practice at Fort Sanders Medical Center (FSMC) in Knoxville for three years. After leaving FSMC he embarked on a solo anesthesia career in a small rural TN hospital for the next six years until being recruited by LMU for his current position in the nurse anesthesia program.

Outside of work Dr. Johnson is a current volunteer fire fighter in his home town of Norris, TN. He enjoys all time spent with his wife and two young boys as well as; camping, biking, kayaking, sky diving (he is a B licensed jumper with over 120 jumps to his credit), scuba diving, and hiking (particularly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park).

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