For over a decade, Autumn Longbottom, BSN, RN, has cared for patients in both the Levine Children's Hospital Oncology Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, mastering complex clinical care and delivering comfort, reassurance, and individualized attention to each child and family. She embodies a rare combination of technical skill and deep empathy, going beyond clinical tasks to guard and honor the humanity of every patient in her care. Autumn provides knowledge, guidance, and respect to new graduates and onboarding experienced nurses. Offering any piece of helpful information or technical skill to any nurse she precepts or requests help near her. She proactively mentors newer staff, ranging from demonstrating procedures to modeling empathetic communication. Any nurse that has worked with Autumn knows the dedication and kindness she will offer to her coworkers, patients and their families.

Often overseeing critical, life-sustaining treatments—such as managing chemotherapy, critical traumas, septic illnesses, post-surgical care, end-of-life care, and respiratory support in the PICU- she demonstrates flawless clinical judgment. Mastering highly complex cases on every shift, she has impacted numerous families, friends, and patients throughout their hospital experience. Autumn's attention to detail, whether in a critical setting or during a bubble bath, ensures the team and patient are prepared for the shift. Through procedures and critical unplanned events, she consistently anticipates evolving clinical needs—prepping equipment, coordinating care, and ensuring uninterrupted care transitions.

Autumn goes the extra mile by creating thoughtful experiences for each child—finding activities, decorating rooms for birthdays, or providing sensory supports tailored to each patient’s developmental and emotional needs —reflecting the creative care of child life in a night-shift environment. Whether holding a hand through a painful procedure or quietly staying late to soothe an anxious child or parent, she invests her whole self. One parent noted she brings a “calm, guiding presence” and many coworkers note her recognizable and contagious laugh that will get them through any shift, all of the above make the PICU feel safer and lighter.

As a collaborator, Autumn works seamlessly with physicians, respiratory therapists, and support staff—often stepping into charge roles, calmly coordinating when situations escalate. One of the many examples of Autumn's exceptional care was when a PICU patient was decompensating, and the attending had to be reached to adjust care. In these situations, Autumn is one of the first to reach out to an attending to ask for their input. Another scenario is Autumn acknowledging that a patient may need critical care intervention simply by assessing the patient or walking into their room. If this occurs, Autumn will always alert the team, coordinate equipment, and medications this patient may need. Therefore, she provides a spirit of high-level care unmatched by most nurses and deserves recognition for the light she brings to the unit and everyone she meets.