Homecoming: Shikela Giles

We’re proud to foster a working environment where our employees can grow, feel seen and heard, and consider Crouse ‘home’. Shikela Giles, NP, is a great reminder of why we work so hard to create this atmosphere. 

Shikela always found healthcare interesting. She was the 10-year-old who wanted to watch the real nitty-gritty medical shows like “The Operation” instead of eating dinner at the table with her siblings. “In middle and high school, I chose health careers as my curriculum focus. When it was time to submit college applications, I naturally chose nursing school,” she shared.

When Shikela was accepted into the Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital, she became a certified home health aide to get experience caring for others. 

Crouse not only offers opportunities for growth, but we also support our employees through the process. “Crouse supported me in transitioning from student nurse assistant to graduate nurse, to RN, to BSN, to my current role as a Nurse Practitioner by allowing me to work split shifts. This allowed me to split a 40 hour position with a colleague, giving me more time to focus on my studies. Crouse also provided financial support to further my education.”

The quality of leadership and mentorship at Crouse speaks for itself. Shikela’s nurse manager identified her strengths and challenged her in ways that exposed her to leadership – ultimately helping her find her next role as charge nurse. She was also surrounded by great nurse practitioners. “They would take me on rounds with them, allow me to watch bedside procedures and hand down resources that were helpful to them as new NPs,” she said.

When Shikela became a nurse practitioner, Crouse was not hiring for that position. This was the beginning of her homecoming story.

“The NPs weren’t retiring anytime soon; that speaks for how great employer Crouse is,” she shared. After 10 years on our 5 South Irving Unit Shikela moved to Crouse Medical Practice and worked per-diem on 5 South Irving. Shortly after, her Crouse career came to a pause.

“For my 2025 New Year’s resolution, I promised myself to be more purposeful. That everything I do, do it with purpose. Including selecting my next employer. This employer mission and vision would have to align with my personal mission and vision. One day, a new position alert popped up on my screen. It was a position at Crouse Hospital for General Surgery NP. It is a difficult emotion to explain, but I had this feeling that I would be returning home, where I belonged. Where I felt valued, seen, and heard. Here I am, a member of the General Surgery NP team,” Shikela said.

Shikela described the Crouse Culture in her own words: “Crouse doesn’t just make promises, they demonstrate their commitment to you through the many offered opportunities of engagement. This is why Crouse employees typically retire … they don’t just leave.” 

Learn more about nursing careers at Crouse: crouse.org/careers/rn