Cancer is currently recognized as a significant global public health concern, prompting extensive research and attention.1,2 The use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy techniques in cancer treatment, while effective in targeting cancer cells, introduces various side effects.3,4 Among these, cardiovascular toxicity, commonly referred to as cardiotoxicity, emerges as a substantial concern.5,6 Cardiotoxicity can impede cancer treatment success and compromise patient overall well-being.

Cardiotoxicity, which can occur during various cancer treatments including chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and radiotherapy, presents a substantial challenge for both patients currently undergoing treatment and cancer survivors.4,7 However, studies have shown that patients may be reluctant to undertake lifestyle changes, such as improving physical activity, quitting smoking, and making dietary modifications, despite the potential benefits in preventing and managing treatment-associated cardiotoxicity.3,8 This highlights the need for healthcare providers, including nurses, to address barriers and provide support to patients in making necessary lifestyle changes.9 The role of oncology nurses is pivotal in supporting patients to manage these side effects, ultimately reducing cardiotoxicity risks and elevating patient quality of life.7

Nurses exhibiting high self-efficacy levels can promptly recognize cardiotoxic symptoms and implement suitable strategies for effective management.6 Moreover, nurses specialized in oncology with elevated self-efficacy foster more effective communication with patients and their families, enabling a deeper understanding of treatment processes and providing insights into cardiotoxicity-related risks and precautions.10,11 Self-efficacy plays a crucial role in cardiotoxicity nursing, representing nurses' confidence level in their ability to effectively perform evidence-based tasks for the optimal management of both short-term and long-term cardiovascular toxicity.6

As shown by Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, nursing performance, behaviors, and outcomes are significantly influenced by self-efficacy. Higher levels of self-efficacy are predicted to positively correlate with nursing competence in controlling cardiotoxicity.12 According to Bandura's theory, people's perceptions of their skills and capacity for problem-solving are influenced by their level of self-efficacy or their conviction that they can carry out the activities necessary to manage future circumstances.13 This self-belief is essential to nursing since it influences performance and the capacity to handle challenging assignments well. Additionally, according to Bandura's theory, mastery experiences, verbal encouragement, and role modeling may all increase an individual's perception of self-efficacy.14 These ideas can be implemented into teaching and learning tactics to help nursing students perform better.15

The assessment of nursing self-efficacy in managing cardiotoxicity resulting from cancer treatment plays a pivotal role in pinpointing educational deficiencies and promoting the enhancement of nursing expertise in this specialized domain of cancer care.6 Oncology nurses, central to the healthcare team involved in cancer treatment, significantly contribute to cardiotoxicity management7,9 Elevated self-efficacy within this context is instrumental in averting complications tied to cardiotoxicity and improving patients' quality of life.6 Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, a scale to assess nursing self-efficacy in managing cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity is unavailable in our country. Thus, this study aims to assess the Turkish psychometric attributes of the Nursing Self-Efficacy Scale for Managing Cancer Treatment-Related Cardiotoxicity (NSS-CTC) among oncology nurses. This scale adaptation will gauge nurses' competence in this realm and contribute to the formulation of targeted educational programs. By fostering the enhancement of oncology nurses' self-efficacy in managing cardiotoxicity, this study aims to empower proactive, effective patient care, thereby elevating patients' quality of life and preventing potential cardiac complications.