Solving a nurse scheduling problem with knapsacks, networks and tabu search

K A Dowsland and J M Thompson ()
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K A Dowsland: Swansea University
J M Thompson: Cardiff University

Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2000, vol. 51, issue 7, 825-833

Abstract: Abstract This paper illustrates how a modern heuristic and two classical integer programming models have been combined to provide a solution to a nurse rostering problem at a major UK hospital. Neither a heuristic nor an exact approach based on a standard IP package was able to meet all the practical requirements. This was overcome by using a variant of tabu search as the core method, but applying knapsack and network flow models in pre- and post-processing phases. The result is a successful software tool that frees senior nursing staff from a time consuming administrative task.

Keywords: manpower scheduling; integer programming; tabu search; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2600970

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