Photo: Henric Wauge / Stella Pictures
"You have a clear purpose": Sofia honoured the new nurses
Princess Sofia was at the Blue Hall in Stockholm City Hall on Friday, where Sophiahemmet University celebrated this year’s graduating nurses, midwives and specialist nurses. She presented scholarships to the students with the best results, and gave a speech to the year group.
Princess Sofia was at the Blue Hall in Stockholm City Hall on Friday, the same hall where the Nobel banquet is held each year. The occasion was Sophiahemmet University's celebration of this year's graduating students.
Nurses, midwives and specialist nurses were honoured, in front of family, friends and staff from the university.
Handing out scholarships
The Princess presented scholarships from Princess Christina's foundation to students at the nursing school. They go to "Sophia sisters who have shown particularly outstanding results in their studies".
Sophia sisters is what the nurses trained at Sophiahemmet are called, a term that has followed the school for more than a century.
"Empathy, compassion and community"
In her speech she spoke about the profession they are now entering.
"All of you sitting in the rows in front of me here in the Blue Hall, celebrating your graduation today, have a clear and meaningful purpose, built on empathy, compassion and community, in which you contribute both to society at large and to the individual person," she said.
The school Queen Sofia founded
Sophiahemmet opened in 1889 and is one of Sweden's oldest private hospitals. It is named after Queen Sofia, who together with her husband King Oscar II had it built on Valhallavägen.
The university itself grew out of the nursing school Queen Sofia started six years earlier, in 1883.
Honorary chair since 2016
Princess Sofia has been honorary chair of the Sophiahemmet association since 2016. She took over from Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson, who had held the post since 1972.
On arrival she was received by Rector Mia von Euler, chief executive Johnna Adami and Cecilia Brick, first deputy chair of Stockholm City Council.