A survey and multilevel analysis of nursing unit tenure diversity and medication errors

Abstract

Aim 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. Method 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). Conclusion 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. Implications for nursing management The development of staffing strategies that enhance nursing unit tenure diversity is required.