#464: Why Tonsillectomies Keep Nurses on Their Toes

Straight A Nursing: Study for nursing school exams & NCLEX

Straight A Nursing

Education, Medicine, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2026

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) is one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures, but don’t let the word routine fool you. Because this surgery directly involves the airway and carries a real risk of post-op hemorrhage, nurses must remain vigilant throughout recovery and discharge education. In this episode, I’m breaking down pediatric tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy using the Straight A Nursing LATTE framework. You’ll learn: Which assessment is the top priority after T&A How to recognize early signs of post-op bleeding What’s normal vs concerning during the healing process Key discharge teaching points every caregiver must understand And more! This episode is a must-listen for nursing students, new grads, and bedside nurses caring for pediatric surgical patients. ___________________ Full Transcript - Read the article and view references Study Sesh - Change the way you study with this private podcast that includes dynamic audio formats including podquizzes, case studies and drills that help you review and test your recall of important nursing concepts on-the-go. Free yourself from your desk with Study Sesh! Med Surg Solution - Are you looking for a more effective way to learn Med Surg? Enroll in Med Surg Solution and get lessons on 57 key topics and out-of-this-world study guides. LATTE Method Template - Download the free LATTE Method Template so you can streamline how you study and focus on what a nurse needs to know. All Straight A Nursing Resources - Check out everything Straight A Nursing has to offer, including more FREE resources and online courses to help you succeed throughout nursing school! 💕Did you love this episode? Please take a moment to follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode! ___________________ The information, including but not limited to, audio, video, text, and graphics contained on this podcast are for educational purposes only. No content on this podcast is intended to guide nursing practice and does not supersede any individual healthcare provider's scope of practice or any nursing school curriculum. Additionally, no content on this podcast is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Straight A Nursing is a proud member of the Airwave Media Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Cassidy.
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0:53.5	Well, hello there. I'm Nurse Mo, and this is the Straight A Nursing podcast where I teach concepts and share tips to help you thrive
0:55.6	in school and at the bedside.
0:58.0	So this week we're talking about a very common surgical procedure that you'll mostly see
1:04.0	done in children, and that is the tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, which is often just referred to as a T and A.
1:14.7	So this procedure involves removing the palatine tonsils and the adenoids.
1:21.0	Again, it's a super, super common procedure, but it's definitely not one to be taken lightly
1:26.9	because it directly involves the airway.
1:29.4	And any time we're fussing around with the airway, we want to be hyper vigilant about watching
1:34.7	our patient for complications.
1:36.3	It can lead to things like airway obstruction and even post-op hemorrhage.
1:41.3	So before we dive into the nursing care of a patient recovering or who's
1:46.4	gone through a T and A procedure, let's do just a quick review. So those palatine tonsils sit on
1:52.2	either side of the oral pharynx at the back of the throat. And that adenoids, which you may
	...

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