Princess Sofia of Sweden Becomes Hospital Volunteer to Help Nurses During Coronavirus

Princess Sofia of Sweden is putting pause on her royal duties so she can help one hospital fight the Coronavirus. See how she’s making a difference for staff and patients alike.

By Mike Vulpo Apr 17, 2020 9:47 PMTags
Princess Sofia of SwedenJONAS EKSTROMER/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images

Forget about a tiara! Princess Sofia of Sweden wants a pair of scrubs!

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to affect people around the world, one member of royalty just took a huge step to help on the front lines.

After completing an intensive training program online, Princess Sofia started working at Sophiahemmet Hospital.

"Princess Sofia is not only Sophia's honorary chair, but now also works with us," the hospital confirmed on Instagram via translation. "This is after having completed our basic nursing education, which has been developed to relieve the now severely strained healthcare staff."

The Princess herself confirmed the news when sharing a picture of her new work outfit.

"Last week, I went through a medical education with a major in health, care and care at @sophiahemmet," she revealed to her followers. "Within the framework of the ‘emergency response,' I am now placed in one of the hospital's care units where, together with other newly trained colleagues, I support and relieve the care staff with various tasks, including care of patients and cleaning."

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Princess Sofia continued via translation, "The Sophiahemmet has in turn made available its resources to the Stockholm region. About 40 employees are lent to work in intensive care at emergency hospitals. In addition, Sophiahemmet relieves emergency hospitals by supporting surgery primarily in cancer."

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While she just started her new duties, Princess Sofia already calls the experience "extremely rewarding." Her help also comes at a much-needed time.

The hospital has been overwhelmed because of the rise of sick patients. As a result, the emergency training program has been launched with almost 80 people a week completing the course that Princess Sofia took to help out.

"In the crisis we find ourselves in, the Princess wants to get involved and make a contribution as a voluntary worker to relieve the large workload of health care professional," the Royal Court said in a statement to People.

The publication also reports that Princess Sofia will not be working directly with patients. Instead, she will be supporting doctors and nurses. "They can disinfect equipment, do shifts in the kitchen and cleaning," a spokesperson for the hospital clarified.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic and for tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit The Center for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov. To plan your vaccine, head to NBC's Plan Your Vaccine site at PlanYourVaccine.com.