Optimization Models for Hybrid Work Scheduling

Remote and Hybrid work has been a common practice for many organizations in recent years. It has many advantages such as offering a better work-life balance but it might also negatively affect productivity and teamwork. While an organization would like to satisfy the remote/hybrid preferences of its employees, it also must ensure that there are enough people working in the office to satisfy certain professional needs. Finding the right balance between in-office and remote work is not an easy task. We develop three optimization models to give solutions to the problem. The most comprehensive model allows employees to work remotely some days of the week and flexible hours for those weekdays when employees work in the office. Our computational results show that the models are very time-efficient in practice. The computational results also include a sensitivity analysis of the most comprehensive model.

Unveiling the challenges encountered by newly graduated nurses during night shifts:A descriptive qualitative study

Objectives:Newly graduated nurses commence night shifts during a phase of heightened vulnerability to reality shock,exacerbating the challenges faced by these graduates.Therefore,this study aimed to identify the challenges experienced by newly graduated nurses when undertaking night shifts in order to help identify a strategy for supporting their adaptation to these shifts.Methods:Semi-structured personal interviews were used to collect data.Fifteen newly graduated nurses were selected to participate in the study by purposive sampling method from November 2021 to March 2022 in one of four general hospitals situated in the southwestern region of Japan.Semi-structured interviews were analyzed by using thematic analysis.Results:The analysis revealedfive central themes and nine subthemes:challenges in task efficiency(task organization challenges,challenges in time-constrained task performance),challenges in responding to patients’changing conditions(challenges in responding to patients’irregular conditions,challenges in responding to nighttime changes in patients’behaviors),challenges in independent practice(challenges in engaging in independent nursing practice,challenges in dealing with unexpected events),challenges in establishing collaborative relationships(challenges in working closely with other staff,challenges in establishing collaborative relationships during night shifts with limited resources),challenges in adapting to shift work(challenges in managing physical conditions for shift work).Conclusions:Newly graduated nurses often encounter challenges in performing their tasks during the transition period.When working night shifts,they face additional hurdles unique to nocturnal duties.Thefindings underscore the necessity for these graduates to develop night shift-specific readiness to effectively navigate the demands inherent in such work schedules.

Three gorges Dam work on schedule

Ongoing construction of the Three Gorges Dam is expected to ensure interception of the Yangtze River between October and November of 1997. Overall, the first phase of the construction is being accomplished a bit ahead of schedule. The project officially started in December 1993. By the end of 1995, 108.8 million cubic metres of earth had been removed and 1.35 million cubic metres of cement placed. The only delay experienced was in the building of a highway linking the dam site with the nearest city, Yichang, where the Three Gorges Development Corp. is based. It is estimated the road, originally scheduled