Tenzin Namgyal (MN-NP 2025), a recent graduate of the Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) program, has chosen to become a new donor, supporting the Educating Nursing’s Future Fund at Bloomberg Nursing.
Having been a nurse for more than 15 years, Namgyal has witnessed the challenges facing the profession, from questions about the value of the nursing role, to the ongoing shortage of care providers. Giving back, she says, is a way to not only stay connected as an alumna but also provide support for new nurses when they need it most.
“I think being able to take away some of the financial burden students face, can make a huge difference,” says Namgyal of her decision to be a donor. “There are already so many challenges nurses encounter daily, this is one small way that I can give back.”
A few years ago, Namgyal chose to go back to school to pursue her master’s degree, a tough financial decision but one she knew she wanted to make because of her love for the profession. She had two young children and knew that reducing her hours was the only way she and her husband were going to be able to manage. She was lucky that she had support from her in-laws and her mother, who is also a nurse. They were instrumental in helping her manage child chare and enabling her to work some of the time.
“I was so fortunate to have their support,” she says. “In my culture, it is common that children are raised by a community or a village, and I’m so grateful for that, because it made the world of difference.”
Giving back was inspired by her parents
Giving back, and choosing to become a donor, is something Namgyal says was also inspired by her parents and her upbringing. Acts of generosity is a value her family has lived by since they came to Canada as sponsored refugees from Tibet. Landing in Winnipeg, a small city with essentially no other Tibetans, she remembers how difficult it was for her parents to put down new roots in a place so foreign to them, yet in spite of those struggles they worked hard to give back to the community and make a meaningful difference.
Her mother got a job as a ward clerk at the local hospital and soon Namgyal and her siblings were volunteering there as well, bringing water or newspapers to patients and their family members.
“That was my first exposure to the health care system, and ever since then I have loved volunteering and giving back, because you see the difference it makes in people’s lives,” she says.
Namgyal’s father was also an inspiration as she watched how dedicated he was in his support of the Tibetan community when they moved to Montreal.
“He has always made sure that we were exposed to our culture, and that he spread awareness in the community and among those of my generation about our language, and the political situation taking place in Tibet,” says Namgyal.
Taking that generous spirit with her as an MN-NP student, Namgyal was dedicated to donating her time to support other students in the program. As a member of the Graduate Nurses’ Student’s Society (GNSS), she was a mentor and an advocate, helping students manage their stress, understand where their fees were going, or how to access mental health services.
Creating this sense of community and connection, is something that Namgyal hopes to continue to foster as a Bloomberg Nursing alumna, and now as a donor.
“As healthcare providers, we are all in this together and need to be supportive of one another, because unified we have a large voice,” says Namgyal. “If I can bring a sense of strength and unity to the nursing profession through my actions, that is worth every penny.”
Learn how you can support the Educating Nursing’s Future Fund