STUDENT: JONATHAN A.

SUMALINOG
PROFESSOR: DR. RHODA NAMOCO
SUBJECT: DTE 633 – OPERATIONAL RESEARCH & PRODUCTION
MANAGEMENT

Journal Article: Solving the Nurse Scheduling Problem of Private Hospitals in the
Philippines using Various Operators for Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Rhoda A. Namoco and Ruben G. Salazar
1. Describe the problem being address in the paper?

This study's primary purpose was to discover a solution to the Nurse Scheduling
Problem (NSP), which may be interpreted as the task of locating a work schedule
that satisfies the requirements of the hospital while also taking into account the
limitations faced by the nurses.

2. Carefully describe the process used in addressing the problem, identifying

what particular OP/PM tool was used.
The researchers chose to integrate a wide variety of genetic algorithms instead of
using just one type. After that, the researchers mix the three crossover operators
with the three mutation operators for the genetic algorithms. These genetic
algorithms are then put through a series of tests and comparisons to determine how
effective they are at providing a solution for the NSP. The Genetic Algorithms are
used in order to obtain the schedules of a specific private hospital in the Philippines.
Each of the nine possible combinations of operators is utilized in this process.
3. Mention the result obtained in the study.
The findings of the study indicate that the pair two-point crossover and single
mutation operators offer a superior timetable for nurses working at a private hospital
in the Philippines. This is the case in terms of accommodating the nurses'
preferences and lowering the costs associated with their salaries.
4. Present the conclusion and recommendations as mentioned in the paper.
In this study, a genetic algorithm is used to help private hospitals in the Philippines
figure out how to schedule their nurses. This study looked at the work schedule
preferences of nurses while meeting the goal of the hospital management to keep
total salary costs as low as possible.
The pair two-point crossover and single mutation an operator performs better than
other genetic operators in terms of the fitness value and total salary cost of its
resulting timetable. This was determined by testing all of the operators that were
available.
In order to solve the NSP, the authors of this research worked with operators for the
genetic algorithm. When it comes to finding a solution for the university course
scheduling system, it could be worthwhile to think about conducting a similar study
using GA in conjunction with other metaheuristic methodologies.

5. Provide insights on how the paper can be of use or replicated in your own
place of work.
This study can really do help the department to maybe solve the problem on
scheduling the teachers to do their ancillaries in order for the teachers to organize
and manage their teaching time over other tasks given by the school heads. In the
field of education, Techniques from the field of Operational Research (OR) have
been utilized, even from the field's earliest days, in order to investigate a wide range
of educational concerns. At the level of the government, these include problems
regarding what resources ought to be provided to education in its entirety and how
this ought to be split across the many subfields of education and the institutions that
fall within those subfields.

6. Mention why you choose this paper.

I choose this journal because I have found it very interesting in learning genetic
algorithms and how it helps or provides solutions to a certain problem that may occur
in a particular organization or company.