(file photo)

By Susan McNeil

Lab shortages

Workload has doubled, staff are burnt out, says PA lab tech

Mar 31, 2025 | 10:38 PM

A man who has worked in the Victoria Hospital lab since 2021 said the workload has doubled but the number of positions in the hospital have not kept pace.

Jordan Thiessen’s job was busy when he started his job at the height of the pandemic, and it has not slowed down.

“Not only was I starting at a dead run when I first got here, but they were desperate to fill absolutely anything that they could. I was working overtime my very first week and that was a very difficult thing,” said Thiessen, who was speaking as part of an NDP news conference aiming to highlight how the current provincial budget does not adequately address problems in the health care field.

When he first began his career, he said the pay was enough for him to provide for his family, which includes four children.

Upon arrival in Prince Albert, he found that the four or five positions that should have been in the lab with him were empty.

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Some have been filled in the time since, but it is a rotating door as people come and then leave.

“We have since had several hires, but we can’t keep them. We have many that go on to pursue other avenues, some that have moved on to Saskatoon because it’s hard to keep individuals in rural health.”

At the same time, the patient load has increased.

Techs are not allowed to leave work if their replacement doesn’t show up and Thiessen said he has worked 16 to 20 hours running for multiple days in a row because of the lack of staffing.

He doesn’t blame his fellow lab techs for wanting a day off, but it means he is missing a lot of time with his growing family.

“There are days that I have to sacrifice going home to my children and to my wonderful wife in order to stay at work, to make sure that our patients have the care that need.”

When he is home, he is often sleeping, unable to play with his children

Despite the exhausting hours and the increased workload, the one thing that has not increased in proportion is the pay offered to techs.

“If we had a workable wage and we had the individuals that were necessary to fully staff our departments, I would have a family life and I’m not the only one. I’m not the only one that has children, and I’m not the only one that wants a personal life back.”

Issues in health care staffing are a highlight of the NDP criticism of the budget.

On Monday, they introduced an emergency motion in the Legislature to have the Sask. Party redo the budget, which was just passed last week.

The NDP pointed to a $432 million reduction in revenues after the governing party decided to pause its carbon legislation on heavy emitters.

Before that, the budget was estimated to have a $12 million surplus.

“The Minister needs to come clean with the people of Saskatchewan on where he intends to cut,” said Shadow Finance Minister Trent Wotherspoon. “This budget was already a failure when it was introduced — it has no plan to address the Trump trade war and actually cuts healthcare at a time when we can’t afford to — now, with the massive hole in it, it’s pure fantasy.”

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social