Today we’d like to introduce you to Sula Stanfield.
Hi Sula, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve been wired to spot gaps and build the bridge that didn’t exist yet. Entrepreneurship was never a side interest—it was a calling. Even while building a 43-year nursing career, I ran businesses and often joked that I was a full-time entrepreneur and a part-time nurse.
My journey began around 1990 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I opened one of the first Black-owned nail salons to offer a personalized, pampering experience amid the rise of assembly-line shops. My clients wanted care that felt bespoke and unhurried—and that’s the gap I filled.
A few years later, conversations with an ICU colleague sparked my interest in legal nurse consulting. He mentioned a Houston program where nurses were launching full-time practices. I audited my network of attorneys in Little Rock, enrolled, and within a month of completing the course, landed my first case. Word-of-mouth kept my caseload growing until I secured a contract that allowed me to consult full-time.
As my workload expanded, I ran into a new problem: organizing vast medical records for chronologies, timelines, and billing. Drawing on skills from a data analyst role at BCBS, I built a case management system for my practice—and realized other legal nurse consultants needed it too. I developed a more robust version, launched at a national conference in Las Vegas, and sold $25,000 in three days. I hit the road as a vendor, showing up at conferences nationwide until family priorities—my daughter’s senior year and college plans—called for steadier income.
I returned to the bedside at Baptist Health in Little Rock, joining the Dialysis Department—drawn by a long-standing love for kidneys and patient care. That move became the seed for my current work as an inventor. While pursuing graduate education, I traveled as a dialysis nurse and eventually took a contract in Houston at LBJ Hospital, using the time to listen, learn the city, and look for the next gap to bridge.
In 2008, CMS mandated that dialysis technicians earn certification requiring 90 clock hours and 240 practicum hours. To my surprise, no local schools offered the training. I changed my track to a Master’s in Nursing Education, graduated in 2012, and opened a small career school in Northwest Houston—Nursepreneur Global Educational Oasis, PLLC—focused on dialysis technician training with learning environments that mirrored real clinical practice.
To make that promise real, I built hands-on simulation experiences so students could safely practice machine setup and initiate dialysis. I never forgot my early fear at the bedside—the uncertainty that lingers when preparation falls short. That memory became a mission: create a dialysis simulator that delivers a true practicum experience. After years of research, countless iterations, and discovering the market lacked a fully dialyzable simulator, I built the solution: a 3‑in‑1 Dialysis Simulator, awarded a U.S. utility patent in 2024.
Perseverance made it possible. There were stops and restarts, but commitment, discipline, and a simple motto—“Nothing but death will keep me from it”—carried me to a market-ready product and a broader educational mission through Kidney Matters, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit I founded to advance dialysis education and innovation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been real hurdles along the way—each one a lesson in resilience and execution.
Balancing a full-time job left scarce hours to advance the invention, forcing ruthless prioritization and late-night work sprints.
Iterating through prototype trial-and-error demanded persistence, documentation, and incremental problem-solving to reach reliability.
The high cost of simulation conferences constrained visibility, requiring creative budgeting and targeted appearances for maximum impact.
Getting in front of true decision-makers meant refining the pitch, building warm introductions, and nurturing relationships over time.
Discouragement surfaced at inflection points, countered by purpose, small wins, and a disciplined return to the mission.
Bootstrapping created financial strain, managed through phased development, reinvesting revenue, and leveraging nonprofit educational outreach when possible.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a retired Registered Nurse with a 43‑year career, graduating from the final class of Decatur Memorial Hospital School of Nursing (Decatur, IL) in 1980 with a nursing diploma. I began in Intensive Care, then relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I spent many years in Surgical Trauma ICU before dedicating the last 22 years of my career to dialysis nursing starting in 2002. I retired on January 4, 2024, from LBJ General Hospital after four years as a Nurse Educator in the Dialysis Department in Houston, Texas.
I specialize in dialysis education with a deep commitment to patient safety—grounded in the principle that knowing what to do, how to do it, and why it matters directly shapes outcomes. Simulation is essential to that mission: practicing skills in a safe, non‑threatening environment builds the confidence and competence learners need before touching patients.
I’m proud to contribute solutions that bridge the gap between dialysis knowledge and hands‑on performance, introducing the first fully dialyzable simulator to support authentic practice and readiness. What sets my work apart is a niche, fully dialyzable design that helps learners move from the simulation lab to the bedside with confidence and competence—advancing education through Kidney Matters, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit I founded.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
For anyone starting or building a business, connecting with SCORE is a valuable first step—their mentors bring deep, hands-on experience to guide every stage of the journey. No matter your industry, certain fundamentals of business apply to everyone, and SCORE can connect you with essential resources and referrals.
Explore city-wide networking events tailored to your interests—these are often the places where meaningful contacts and collaborations begin. Take advantage of free webinars focused on your area; they serve as hubs for learning and community-building.
Don’t hesitate to reach out directly to companies or organizations you want to engage. LinkedIn remains a powerful tool for expanding your professional network and making targeted connections.
And, of course, lean on AI resources to research, strategize, and identify new opportunities as you grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sworld.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sworld.me/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SulasWorld.me
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suladunklin/
- Twitter: https://x.com/AllThingsS2022
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sulastanfield3435
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sworld.me
