Abstract
In this article, we discuss the effect of nurse shift job on circadian rhythm, work stress, and some important ergonomics criteria. We also review and compare different nurse shift scheduling methodologies via the criteria of flexibility, consideration of nurse preference, and consideration of ergonomics principles. A hybrid expert system, entitled NURSE-HELP, is developed to facilitate the nurse scheduling process with an emphasis on considering ergonomics criteria. Moreover, the combination of a linear zero-one goal programming and an expert system program reduces the program run time while maintaining the quality of the schedule. The evaluation of the system is done by comparing 18 sets of four-week schedules generated by the head nurses manually and by NURSE-HELP. Concerning the amount of time to generate the schedules, NURSE-HELP averages less than 20 minutes while the head nurses spend about two to four hours. The quality of the schedules is measured by the following four criteria; minimum staff level not satisfied, day off request not granted, backward rotation, and maximum consecutive work periods on the night shift. The results show that NURSE-HELP is superior than the head nurses in preparing schedules, both in terms of time and quality.
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