Intelligent Clinic Nurse Scheduling Considering Nurses Paired with Doctors and Preference of Nurses

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Healthcare Management
• Computer Science

Background:

• The nurse scheduling problem (NSP) is a critical challenge in healthcare, exacerbated by nursing shortages due to demanding work conditions.
• Optimizing nurse schedules is essential for hospital efficiency and staff well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective solution for the NSP that maximizes nurse satisfaction.
• To address constraints including government laws, hospital regulations, and nurse preferences.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid metaheuristic algorithm was proposed and computationally tested.
• The algorithm was implemented in a real-world clinic as a case study.

Main Results:

• The hybrid metaheuristic outperformed existing methods and manual scheduling in computation time and solution quality.
• The implemented technique reduced scheduling time by 93% and increased schedule satisfaction by 21%.

Conclusions:

• The developed scheduling technique significantly enhances operating efficiency and service quality.
• This approach offers a practical and effective solution to the NSP, improving both hospital operations and nurse well-being.