Staff Registered Nurse Smit Honored with Nurse Excellence Award

Staff Registered Nurse Smit has received North Oaks Health System's Nurse Excellence Award for November 2020.

Staff Registered Nurse Smit has belonged to the Telemetry West team since 2017 and serves as a back-up Charge Nurse. He received the North Oaks “Rookie of the Year” Award during National Nurses Week in 2018. Since then, he has continued to excel. He received the North Oaks Champion Award for excellence in patient care in 2019 and 2020.

"Nursing is my calling," shares Smit.

For Smit, earning a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University was a step toward fulfilling his career goal.

“I have known that I wanted to work in health care since I was a sophomore in high school. I didn’t set out to be a nurse, but in 2013, my mom was admitted to an intensive care unit,” Smit explains. “That experience made me realize how much of a difference I could make as a nurse.”

Covington is home to Smit, his wife Poonam, and their infant daughter, Ruhi.

Traveling and gaming are some of Smit’s favorite pastimes.

“When it comes to patient care, Smit exceeds the standards for safety, advocacy and overall experience," affirms Clinical Nurse Manager Britanie Breland. "He also is highly sought after as a teacher and mentor for new staff members and students. He seeks out opportunities to collaborate with coworkers, providers and support staff to make a difference for our patients.”