Confronting AIDS — Update 1988

The remainder of the book has this rather mixed approach of discussion and dogma.The discussion of natural law and utilitarianism is on the whole helpful, the conclusion that 'utilitarianism turns out to be untenable' is a bit bald.The chapters on integrity, respect and confidentiality follow a similar pattern and the three chapters dealing with 'problems of life and death' consider euthanasia, abortion, genetic counselling and care of the handicapped newborn.The book works to the extent that it tells Catholic nurses how to keep faith.More problematic is the question: 'How do Catholic nurses act towards those who do not share their beliefs?'This latter issue is, to my mind, ofconcern in nursing ethics if we are to confront the problem of the potential for the imposition of value systems on our patients.If the work were entitled Ethics in Catholic Nursing Practice, this reviewer would be a good deal happier with this addition to the ever- increasing literature on nursing ethics.