The ASP-based Nurse Scheduling System at the University of Yamanashi Hospital

TL;DR

This paper describes the development and deployment of a nurse scheduling system using Answer Set Programming at the University of Yamanashi Hospital, addressing real-world constraints and preferences.

Contribution

It demonstrates the practical application of ASP to complex, real-world nurse scheduling problems, highlighting necessary advancements in ASP technology.

Findings

Successful deployment at the hospital

Effective handling of complex constraints

Insights into ASP's real-world applicability

Abstract

We present the design principles of a nurse scheduling system built using Answer Set Programming (ASP) and successfully deployed at the University of Yamanashi Hospital. Nurse scheduling is a complex optimization problem requiring the reconciliation of individual nurse preferences with hospital staffing needs across various wards. This involves balancing hard and soft constraints and the flexibility of interactive adjustments. While extensively studied in academia, real-world nurse scheduling presents unique challenges that go beyond typical benchmark problems and competitions. This paper details the practical application of ASP to address these challenges at the University of Yamanashi Hospital, focusing on the insights gained and the advancements in ASP technology necessary to effectively manage the complexities of real-world deployment.