title: A survey and multilevel analysis of nursing unit tenure diversity and medication errors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This empirical research aimed to identify relationships between nurses' unit tenure, nursing unit tenure diversity and medication errors.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Research examining medication errors has paid little attention to the effects of multilevel precursors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 567 registered nurses (from 36 nursing units) completed a survey questionnaire at a university hospital during September 2012. Of these, 334 (completed by nurses from 22 nursing units) were eligible for multilevel analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average frequency of self-reported medication errors per registered nurse in the preceding 6 months was 0.98. Multilevel analysis showed that medication errors were significantly negatively associated with nurses' unit tenure at individual level (B = -0.64, P = 0.002) and nursing unit tenure diversity at unit level (B = -0.69, P < 0.001). Furthermore, nursing unit tenure diversity moderated the relationship between nurses' unit tenure and medication errors (B = 0.48, P = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided evidence indicating that novice nurses made a higher number of medication errors relative to experienced nurses, and that including a mixture of novice and experienced nurses in a nursing unit attenuated novice nurses' medication errors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of staffing strategies that enhance nursing unit tenure diversity is required.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Jeju National University, Jeju City, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Mee
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: College of Business, Gachon University, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000451:nursing*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D009726:Nurses / Q000592:standards*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010362:Patients' Rooms / Q000592:standards; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: medication error; multilevel analysis; nurse; nursing unit; tenure diversity