Design of a decision support system for solving nurse rostering problem -1

 Efficient nurse rostering is crucial for ensuring that a hospital operates smoothly and that patients receive the care they need. The goal of this project is to design a nurse rostering system that optimizes the allocation of nurses across various shifts while considering the hospital’s operational needs, the well-being of the nurses, and compliance with labor laws.

This project involves:   

• Analyzing the hospital’s operations to determine the staffing requirements for different shifts and departments, accounting for factors such as peak hours, patient-to-nurse ratios, and specialized nursing needs (e.g., ICU, ER).
• Assessing the current nurse scheduling system, identifying inefficiencies, and understanding constraints related to union agreements, nurse preferences, and regulatory requirements.
• Developing an algorithm that creates nurse schedules balancing hospital demands with nurses’ preferences, minimizing overtime and ensuring compliance with legal regulations, such as rest periods and maximum working hours.
• Designing a decision-support system a system that helps nurse managers quickly generate and adjust rosters as needed, factoring in unexpected changes like sick leaves or sudden surges in patient numbers.
• Exploring the use of digital tools and IoT solutions to monitor nurse attendance, manage shifts in real-time, and forecast future staffing needs based on historical data and predictive analytics.

A cost benefit analysis should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution including the financial implications of implementing new technologies.

Project Details

• Student(s): Lea Jilwan (INE), Yara Naame (INE), Charbel A. Saab (INE), Elias Elghossein (INE)
• Advisor(s): Dr. Pierrette Zouein
• Year: 2024-2025