Determining oncology nurses' awareness of cardio-oncology in Türkiye: A descriptive study

The aim of this study was to explore oncology nurses' awareness of cardio-oncology and cancer-related cardiotoxicity.

This descriptive study was conducted with 152 oncology nurses between April 2025 and October 2025. Data were collected using the Cardio-Oncology Awareness Questionnaire for Nurses which was developed by the authors for this study. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data.

Only 15% (n = 23) of the participants had received education on cardio-oncology and cancer-related cardiotoxicity and the majority reported acquiring their knowledge primarily from colleagues (63%). Participants expressed limited confidence in recognizing cancer-related cardiotoxicity (n = 66, 43%), while the majority (n = 147, 97%) indicated a need for further education on cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity. The educational topics identified were cardiovascular risk factors, basic electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation and arrhythmias, cardioprotective agents, and cardiovascular risk assessment during cancer survivorship."

The findings revealed a lack of knowledge and practice regarding cardio-oncology and cardiotoxicity among oncology nurses, with most having not received formal education. With cardio-oncology emerging as an important sub-speciality, there clearly is a need for a structured cardio-oncology education in Türkiye.