Introduction 
I           State of the Art, Theoretical Framework and Methodological Considerations
1              State of the Art in Social Science Research
2              Theoretical Framework and Research Design
3              Method and Sources of Information   
 
First Part- Historical Analysis
Bioethics and Hospital Ethics Committees 
   
II          US- American Bioethics and the Move into the Practical Arena

1              “Bioethics is not just Bioethics”: Its Make and (Un) Concerns 
2              The Move of Bioethics into the Practical Arena: “Strangers at the Bedside” 
  
III        Traces and Beginnings of Institutionalised Consultation by Committees: Local and
Governmental 
1              Traces of Institutionalised Consultation Committees 
2              From Professional Ethical Standards to Governmental Intervention
 
           
IV        The Development of Contemporary Hospital Ethics Committees from the US to Germany 
1              The Story of  Karen Quinlan
2              Multidisciplinary Advisory Committees as Physicians’ Prognosis Committees
3              Types of Hospital Ethics Committees: From an Ad-hoc Committee to an Optimum Care Committee at Boston Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) 
4              The President’s Commission and its Support of Hospital Ethics Committees
5              From the “Baby Does’ Cases” to Infant Bioethical Review Committees
6              Statutory Authority for Hospital Ethics Committees, Bureaucratisation and Evaluation
7              The Talk and its Performance in Hospital Ethics Committees  
8              The German Development: A Re-Make of the US- American Model                                                                           
  
Summary 
  
Second Part - Relational Analysis
Care and Hospital Ethics Committees
 
V         Transitions of the Care–Ethics-Debate and Nursing since 1980   
 
1              Caring as a Women orientated Ethics and a Feminine Concept 
2              Caring as a Foundational Concept for a Theory of Nursing Ethics 
3              Care Ethics from a Nursing Perspective in Germany 
  
VI        Feminist and Nursing Studies in Care- Ethics since 1990  
1              Caring as a Social Practice from a Feminist Political Science Perspective 
2              Nursing Practices of Care: Competence and Clinical Realizations