Student nurse helping patient with breathing equipment

Helping cystic fibrosis patients breathe easier

Published: 8 July 2025

Thanks to the University’s partnership with University Hospital Southampton (UHS), final-year nursing student Jack has had the opportunity to help care for patients on a clinical trial and see first-hand how new drugs can help improve quality of life. 

Cystic fibrosis is one of the UK's most common life-limiting inherited diseases, affecting over 11,000 people in the UK and nearly 200,000 people worldwide.  

The condition causes mucus to build up in the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system. This can lead to chronic chest infections, lung inflammation and other complications such as digestive problems.  

Jack applied for a five-week placement with the National Institute for Health and Care Research at UHS that was conducting the first in human clinical trial of a new inhaled drug for cystic fibrosis.  

“The principle behind the inhaled medicine is that it can repair damaged tissue by altering the genes within individual cells in the lungs,” explains Jack.  

As he is still training to be a nurse, Jack wasn’t involved in preparing or administering the drugs, but he gained so much experience and insight into the clinical trial process by observing and supporting the team.  

“I had the opportunity to interact with the patient and gain experience carrying out observations and lung function tests.”  

“It was amazing to see that in two weeks the patient’s ability to exhale went up exponentially, and this was all down to a drug that had never been tested before on humans.  

“The whole placement is an experience I’ll never forget, and it motivates me even more to be the best nurse I can be.”

Find out more about Jack’s clinical trial placement and his passion for nursing in the video.  

My Nursing Journey at Southampton University

Ever thought about becoming a nurse? Hear from student Jack, who went from working as a secretary in intensive care to studying nursing at Southampton and helping with real clinical trials.