An agent-based nurse rostering system under minimal staffing conditions

Nurse rostering is a complex problem. We propose a new heuristic using a competitive agent-based negotiation that focuses on nurse preferences called competitive nurse rostering (CNR). Unlike the existing literature, CNR models each nurse's preference functions separately and separates the cost minimization and preference maximization problems. CNR produces quality nurse rosters even though it cannot leverage extra staffing. As an agent system, CNR can distribute computational requirements over several computer systems, include other solution methods at various points in of the rostering problem, and act as a real-time scheduling system. These benefits are not naturally inherent in centralized heuristic solutions.