Our series on “Champions for Change” features people of any gender in any role who are making a difference and creating positive change for women in the veterinary sector – enabling aspirations, inspiring and supporting others to grow and follow their passions, and empowering our community.
Georgina Parsons is an RVN and co-founder of the National Union of Registered Veterinary Nurses, the first union solely for vet nurses. Georgina was nominated for Champions for Change by her colleague, Sam Mumford, who said, “This has never been done before and we have faced so much resistance. Georgina has still been an amazing driving force and over the last year, has grown the union from being an action group to being a fully formed union with paying members and taking on casework. This is all alongside finishing the advanced degree and working full time.”
Read on to find out more about Georgina’s aims in leading change to get RVN’s voices heard:
When I left school at 16, I attended Askham Bryan College and worked in a small animal, first opinion GP practice. I moved practices half way through my training to another GP where I qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse. I have remained in this practice for over eight years and in that time I have been a clinical coach supporting multiple students, have completed my advanced certificate in anaesthesia and analgesia through RVC and formed The National Union of Registered Veterinary Nurses with a board of equally strong veterinary nurses.
Please summarise how you are working towards change in the veterinary professions and why do you feel this is important?
The RVN profession is long overdue change. On a larger scale, the lack of recognition faced by nurses on a daily basis, the under-utilisation of our skills, the lack of title protection, nurses leaving the industry too soon as it is not designed for us to thrive in are all issues that I wish to play a part in tackling. For the day-to-day nurse, not many of us know our rights. We might recognise when something is ‘not quite right’ in the way that we are treated or something is handled, but we’re unsure what to do about it.
In order to change this, myself and a colleague formed The National Union of Registered Veterinary Nurses (NURVN) in August of 2022. Since then, we have grown our membership base, supported many nurses navigating through issues in practice and have represented a number of those in grievances and disciplinary action. We have made connections with multiple organisations in the industry, including the RCVS, to get our voice heard. We have formed relationships with trade unionists to ensure we can offer the most support possible.
Being able to represent those that can’t speak for themselves and offer support in times
of need has been absolutely incredible and every case I have had has felt like a personal win. It’s important for nurses to feel supported, like they have someone cheering them on and listening to their voice. If we don’t have that, it’s easy to give up. It’s easier to stay quiet and not make waves, to ‘do your job and go home’, but that attitude leads to a lack of job satisfaction and can leave nurses feeling a little lost. The NURVN wants to be able to support nurses feeling like that and understand not only the bigger issues, but the smaller things that would make our day to day lives more fulfilling.
How do you feel this is making a difference?
Being able to support nurses and give them the power to be able to speak up for themselves and recognise where there may be shortfalls in practice is slowly but surely making a difference in the way that nurses view themselves and the profession. Being able to recognise that just because something has always ‘been done like that’ does not necessarily make it right. Being able to encourage nurses to raise those concerns will make a huge difference for what we will stand for in the long run.
I know that I’m making a difference, because our members tell me. The positive feedback we have received has been amazing and a little overwhelming at times! We are told on a
regular basis that a union just for nurses is long overdue. I also recognise the difference in myself. Starting The NURVN lit a fire I didn’t know I had in me. I could have taken the easier route and joined a larger union, but I didn’t. I’m really proud of that decision and proud of what we have created.
What motivated you to want to change things?
I think every nurse has a little lull in their career. I felt like I was constantly complaining about things in the industry and not doing anything about it. When our ex-President of the NURVN
reached out to me to be part of forming The NURVN it felt like an opportunity to do something important. I was dismissed from a practice as a student and felt that I had nowhere to turn for support and it almost led to me leaving the profession. Now, I can be that support for other nurses in the hope that no one else is in the situation of wanting to leave the industry.
I still need motivating from time to time; starting a union from scratch is incredibly difficult and I still have a lot to learn. My Vice President, Sam, has been amazingly supportive before she even joined the board officially. I absolutely could not do it without her. Our members continue to motivate me too. We often have nurses join us who have been turned away from other organisations when trying to access their services and being there for them during difficult times is a huge privilege.
How have you encouraged other people to get on board with your ideas?
It has been a challenge to get others on board. While I’m sure that the majority of nurses will agree that we need more representation and support to make change, change can be a very scary thing. We have a decent social media following and have made a lot of connections in the industry, such as the RCVS, Vetlife and certain education centres. We continue to communicate with our members and encourage them to talk about us and how we have been able to help. A lot of our membership has come from referral from members we have already supported. We have recently recruited regional representatives to be able to spread the word of The NURVN and we hope to be able to attend some congresses in the not too distant future!
What are the biggest challenges you have encountered in this journey and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge has been getting our name out there and letting people know that we exist. I don’t think that a lot of nurses really understand what a union can do and how we are beneficial to the industry. We’ve received a little resistance as I do think that people think we may be stepping on some toes or that there are already enough people doing what we do. I don’t think that you can have too many voices shouting for nurses. Ultimately, we all want the same goal and the more people on board then the easier that becomes. There is power in numbers.
What has most helped and motivated you along the way?
Knowing that being there to support others has made a difference for the individual has made all of the issues we have faced worth it. We have a lot of supporters in our professional lives and personal lives. From my boss in practice who seems to only use social media to share our posts, to my fiancé who patiently listens to me talk about the union every day and to Sam’s husband who puts the kids to bed and listens to us navigate our way through paperwork and giggling over ridiculous things when we’re still awake at midnight trying to build a website for the first time. Encouragement and support from others is the biggest thing that has helped us keep going.
What is the best advice you’ve been given, or that you would give to someone else, about driving positive change?
Be prepared for a challenge! Making change is not easy and you might often feel you want to give up because it’s the easiest option. But when I failed my OSCEs the first time, I asked my dad what I was supposed to do now. All he said was to ‘fight on’. I don’t often listen to him, but that’s what I’ve kept doing!
What are your next steps to continue creating change for the better?
I want to continue to grow the NURVN. There is power in numbers and the more power we have the bigger the changes we can make. Our ultimate goal is to create an industry that supports nurses and encourages us to thrive. I want nurses to know what they’re capable of, maybe not alone, but when we come together, we can really make a difference. The late Louise O’Dwyer said that “nursing is about making your mark”, and that’s what I will strive to do.
In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2025, we assembled a collection of ‘Champions for Change’ profiles into a free eBook. Explore exclusive stories highlighting inspirational figures driving positive change for women in veterinary.
Our thanks to Georgina for sharing her inspiring story of how she is championing change. If you would like to nominate a Champion for Change or share your story, please let us know.
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