[From Okinawa - Investigating Workload in Caregiving] Nanjo-en Group Conducts Survey Targeting Care and Nursing Staff
Nanjo-en Group surveyed 47 caregiving and nursing staff members regarding workload burdens. The results highlighted that "record-keeping and documentation" is the heaviest burden, revealing high expectations for AI automation alongside concerns over implementation costs.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 06:44 (91h 12m after Collected)
Nichinan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture; CEO: Noriyoshi Arakaki), which operates the day service and residential pay nursing home "Nanjo-en Group," conducted a "Survey on 'Burden' in Caregiving and Nursing Tasks" targeting caregiving, nursing, and rehabilitation staff working within the group.
As a result of the survey, "record-keeping and document entry" topped the list as the most burdensome task at 42.6%, revealing that 57.4% of staff spend more than 30 minutes a day on documentation. Furthermore, 53.2% responded that the reason behind this burden is the "difficulty of finding the right timing to record between attending to users." While "AI-driven record automation" ranked first at 23.4% as a technology they want to introduce in the future, 48.9% cited "high implementation costs" as a barrier, highlighting the gap between frontline expectations and infrastructure readiness.
■ Background of the Survey
In the 2024 nursing fee revision, a new "Productivity Improvement Promotion System Addition" was established, requiring care providers to undertake the following initiatives:
- Establishment of a committee: Set up a committee aimed at ensuring user safety, care service quality, and reducing staff burden, meeting at least once every 3 months (mandatory from FY2027 for facility and residential services).
- Introduction of care technology: Proactive use of monitoring equipment, intercoms, caregiving software, etc.
- Review of business processes: Utilization of care assistants, optimization of role-sharing, and reduction of paperwork.
- Submission of outcome data: Regular performance reporting to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Against the backdrop of these institutional changes, the Nanjo-en Group conducted this fact-finding survey with the aim of "accelerating productivity improvement initiatives from a frontline perspective." The essential purpose of this survey is not merely to acquire the fee addition, but to understand the real burden felt by each staff member and link it to the realization of a "sustainable caregiving workplace."
■ Survey Overview
[Item] | [Content]
Survey Name | Questionnaire on "Burden" in caregiving, nursing, and other tasks
Survey Period | March 17 to March 26, 2026
Target Audience | 47 care, nursing, and rehab staff working at Nanjo-en Group
Valid Responses | 47
Survey Method | Anonymous online survey via Google Forms
Number of Questions | Total of 15 questions
・Main Question Categories of the Survey
In order to grasp the reality of the frontlines from multiple angles, this survey consisted of 16 questions across the following 6 categories:
[1] Attributes (Age, years of service, job type, position)
[2] Sense of burden across all tasks
[3] Reality of records and clerical work
[4] Challenges of night shifts and staffing structures
[5] Attitudes toward utilizing technology
[6] Regarding the workplace environment
▼ View the full survey details here
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RT0nL2rWwibQ1b2hMIz1_WHTzO2aSH8i0PDJ6qKPgYU/edit?slide=id.g3d49fd8f4de_0_0#slide=id.g3d49fd8f4de_0_0
■ Survey Topics (5 Excerpts)
Topic 1 | The most burdensome task is "Record-keeping and document entry" at No. 1
When asked which tasks they feel "take time and man-hours" (select up to top 3), "record-keeping and document entry" came in first at 42.6%. This was followed by "excretion assistance (including diaper changing)" at 34.0% and "bathing assistance" at 27.7%, with physical care and clerical work dominating the top spots.
Also, in "the single most burdensome task (select 1)," "record-keeping and document entry" was top at 23.4%. This was followed by care plan creation/updating (10.6%) and excretion assistance (10.6%).
The reality that documentation is as big a burden as physical care not only squeezes care time but is also thought to lead to the mental exhaustion of staff.
[Voice of the Staff]
"There are many records and transcriptions across multiple tools, and recording work sometimes continues past regular hours."
"There are too many items to fill out on the checklist."
Topic 2 | 57% spend 30+ minutes a day on record-keeping
When asked "Approximately how many minutes per day do you spend on recording tasks (care records, nursing records, reports, etc.)," 42.6% answered "30-60 minutes".
As a result of the survey, "record-keeping and document entry" topped the list as the most burdensome task at 42.6%, revealing that 57.4% of staff spend more than 30 minutes a day on documentation. Furthermore, 53.2% responded that the reason behind this burden is the "difficulty of finding the right timing to record between attending to users." While "AI-driven record automation" ranked first at 23.4% as a technology they want to introduce in the future, 48.9% cited "high implementation costs" as a barrier, highlighting the gap between frontline expectations and infrastructure readiness.
■ Background of the Survey
In the 2024 nursing fee revision, a new "Productivity Improvement Promotion System Addition" was established, requiring care providers to undertake the following initiatives:
- Establishment of a committee: Set up a committee aimed at ensuring user safety, care service quality, and reducing staff burden, meeting at least once every 3 months (mandatory from FY2027 for facility and residential services).
- Introduction of care technology: Proactive use of monitoring equipment, intercoms, caregiving software, etc.
- Review of business processes: Utilization of care assistants, optimization of role-sharing, and reduction of paperwork.
- Submission of outcome data: Regular performance reporting to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Against the backdrop of these institutional changes, the Nanjo-en Group conducted this fact-finding survey with the aim of "accelerating productivity improvement initiatives from a frontline perspective." The essential purpose of this survey is not merely to acquire the fee addition, but to understand the real burden felt by each staff member and link it to the realization of a "sustainable caregiving workplace."
■ Survey Overview
[Item] | [Content]
Survey Name | Questionnaire on "Burden" in caregiving, nursing, and other tasks
Survey Period | March 17 to March 26, 2026
Target Audience | 47 care, nursing, and rehab staff working at Nanjo-en Group
Valid Responses | 47
Survey Method | Anonymous online survey via Google Forms
Number of Questions | Total of 15 questions
・Main Question Categories of the Survey
In order to grasp the reality of the frontlines from multiple angles, this survey consisted of 16 questions across the following 6 categories:
[1] Attributes (Age, years of service, job type, position)
[2] Sense of burden across all tasks
[3] Reality of records and clerical work
[4] Challenges of night shifts and staffing structures
[5] Attitudes toward utilizing technology
[6] Regarding the workplace environment
▼ View the full survey details here
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RT0nL2rWwibQ1b2hMIz1_WHTzO2aSH8i0PDJ6qKPgYU/edit?slide=id.g3d49fd8f4de_0_0#slide=id.g3d49fd8f4de_0_0
■ Survey Topics (5 Excerpts)
Topic 1 | The most burdensome task is "Record-keeping and document entry" at No. 1
When asked which tasks they feel "take time and man-hours" (select up to top 3), "record-keeping and document entry" came in first at 42.6%. This was followed by "excretion assistance (including diaper changing)" at 34.0% and "bathing assistance" at 27.7%, with physical care and clerical work dominating the top spots.
Also, in "the single most burdensome task (select 1)," "record-keeping and document entry" was top at 23.4%. This was followed by care plan creation/updating (10.6%) and excretion assistance (10.6%).
The reality that documentation is as big a burden as physical care not only squeezes care time but is also thought to lead to the mental exhaustion of staff.
[Voice of the Staff]
"There are many records and transcriptions across multiple tools, and recording work sometimes continues past regular hours."
"There are too many items to fill out on the checklist."
Topic 2 | 57% spend 30+ minutes a day on record-keeping
When asked "Approximately how many minutes per day do you spend on recording tasks (care records, nursing records, reports, etc.)," 42.6% answered "30-60 minutes".