Knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation in a rule-based expert system.

It is important to understand and describe how nurses make diagnostic decisions. This article describes the process by which knowledge is acquired and represented in a rule-based expert system for nursing diagnosis. Knowledge acquisition was obtained by tapping the expertise of clinical nurse specialists who were able to articulate the elements present in their diagnostic decisions. Knowledge representation was achieved using a commercially-available software package. VP Expert (Berkeley, CA). The clinical nurse specialists contributed many of the heuristics in the determination of self-care deficit as a nursing diagnosis. Three models of rules for the determination of self-care deficit, bathing are provided. These models represent a method for discriminating between levels of patient dependence. A description of rules that define specific causes, such as immobility are also included. They will be tested in the clinical setting.