According to her nomination, Kara Lindblad worked with the Rehabilitation Services/Speech-Language Pathology Department to determine which strategies would best serve a patient's communication abilities. Strategies included pause time, how and when to use written choices, and how to interpret the patient's responses:
"Using these strategies takes extra time and keen observation skills. Kara performed them consistently so that she could provide the best care for her patient. She had the opportunity to model compassionate nursing care and positive collaborative service with speech-language pathology, allowing future staff to continue to use supportive communication strategies to meet patient needs."