From Archaeology Graduate To Award-Nominated Nursing Student – The Manor’s John Langan

We’re incredibly proud of our Senior Carer, John Langan, who was named runner up in the Nursing Student of the Year category at this year’s Royal College of Nursing Scotland Awards.

Alongside his role as a Senior Carer at The Manor Care Home in Edinburgh, John is studying for a Nursing degree. He was nominated for the RCN award because of the exceptional dedication, compassion and initiative he’s shown in improving the lives of residents living with dementia.

A Change of Direction Leads to a New Career Path

Originally from Mayo in Ireland, John lived and worked in Sligo before to moving to Edinburgh. The story of his journey into and within the care sector is an inspirational one, and John shared the highlights with us.

“I studied for a degree in Archaeology and also worked as a retail assistant in a shop in Sligo. After finishing my degree, finding employment in the field of archaeology was challenging, and the rapid onset of Covid 19 then meant that this work was effectively unavailable for a long time. My wife Danielle was very supportive and was instrumental in convincing me to change my career path and apply for a local pre-registration Nursing course, which led to work as a Healthcare Assistant. Both my sister and Danielle’s mother work in the care sector and this really opened my mind to the idea. It is a career I never would have considered applying myself to but looking back, I am so grateful to my family and wife for guiding me towards it. It is a career that has changed my life positively in many ways”.

Joining The Manor Team and Progressing into Nursing

Following a move to Edinburgh in 2022, John spent 6 months as an agency Healthcare Assistant and took on several long bookings at The Manor, which he enjoyed very much. It was during these assignments that John became interested in a more permanent role within Caring Homes, realising that the company’s values aligned with his own. John joined The Manor’s team as a Senior Carer in August 2022.

Having worked as a Healthcare Assistant and then as a Senior Carer, John was soon keen to progress and decided to take the next step – to train and qualify as a nurse. He explained, “Nursing to me stands out as a balance between clinical knowledge and human connection combined into one role. Treating symptoms runs parallel to building therapeutic relationships and helping people when they are at their most vulnerable. Nursing offers me a greater opportunity to have an impact on people’s lives for the better”.

Inspired to Bring Added Focus to Dementia Care

John was also aware of The Manor’s exemplary approach to specialised dementia care and his family history inspired him to get further involved:

“Dementia care is a topic that is very personal to me and provided my initial primary drive into this area of healthcare. Two of my grandparents lived with dementia for several years in their later life and their journey had a profound and eye opening effect on me, Knowing the challenges my mother and family went through gave me great insight. I had no experience or recognition of dementia prior to this and the more I learned, the more I wanted to be a part of making that journey easier for those affected by dementia and for their loved ones. It has since been my commitment to provide understanding and personal centred support to those living with dementia and those close to them”.

Despite juggling university studies and placements with his Senior Carer’s responsibilities, John volunteered to become The Manor’s Dementia Champion and introduced simple yet transformative changes to promote engagement, connection, and reduce distress-related behaviours. An example of one of John’s initiatives is the creation of a ‘Remembrance Photo Album’ which has helped staff process grief and provides comfort to families when their loved one has passed away. The practice is now a standard part of Caring Homes’ culture.

Resident Highlights and the Road Ahead

When asked about resident-oriented moments that stand out for him, John highlighted the pleasure he got from seeing residents playing and experimenting with sounds, notes and melodies from a piano, brought out for them to use at their leisure. He also recalled another instance where he and some other team members went the extra mile for a resident: “We learned basic words and sentences in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, in order to support and guide a resident with advanced dementia into eating at meal times. Learning this language helped her immeasurably with regaining some of her appetite and improved her quality of life while she was under our care”.

John feels fortunate to be surrounded by a team of incredible people at The Manor who have always supported his initiatives and attempts to introduce changes to the unit and home. Whether managers, mentors, friends or colleagues, he sees the team at The Manor as being extraordinary as a whole and united in their common goal to provide empathetic, person centred care.

Staff at The Manor love John for his helpfulness and team spirit and are delighted that he has been recognised at the RCN Awards. The wider Caring Homes family had already noted John’s outstanding contribution when he was named Dementia Champion of the Year at the group’s annual awards event last year. Meanwhile, John hopes that being an RCN award winner / finalist will have a positive impact more widely:

“Being runner up for the RCN Scotland Nursing Student of the Year award and being recognised for my work in dementia care is a tremendous honour. It’s definitely given me even more motivation to progress with my career in nursing and I am excited to be on this path. I also hope that it will shine further light on the importance of dementia care in nursing, a field that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves but one that affects so many lives and with increasing frequency every year”.

Welcome to The Manor Care Home

The Manor, our care home in Edinburgh, is a beautiful, purpose built home providing residential, nursing and dementia care. There's a range of facilities, numerous activities, plenty of space and beautiful surroundings – including extensive gardens – where you can sit back and relax or entertain friends and family. Enjoy this first-class home with many comfortable lounges, a cinema, hair salon and bistro. The Manor has all the amenities you could need, within an elegant and charming environment.