Article ID: | iaor19992396 |
Country: | Netherlands |
Volume: | 104 |
Issue: | 3 |
Start Page Number: | 582 |
End Page Number: | 592 |
Publication Date: | Feb 1998 |
Journal: | European Journal of Operational Research |
Authors: | Millar Harvey H., Kiragu Mona |
Keywords: | personnel & manpower planning |
In this paper, we present a mathematical model for cyclic and non-cyclic scheduling of 12 h shift nurses. The model exploits the fact that a nurse's schedule is made up of an alternating sequence of work-stretch and ‘off-stretch’ patterns. We introduce a concept called a stint, which is a pattern characterized by a start date, a length, a ‘cost’ and the shifts worked. Using the stints as nodes in a network, we construct an acyclic graph on which the nurse's schedules can be defined. The resulting model is essentially a shortest-path problem with side constraints. The model is quite flexible and can accommodate a variety of constraints. With a minor modification, the network is used to define both the cyclic and non-cyclic scheduling problems. The models are illustrated on sample data from a local hospital and solved using CPLEX optimization software on an IBM RISC6000/340 workstation.