I recently visited Quest Diagnostics and had a mixed experience. On the positive side, I was very impressed with the professionalism of the nurse who performed my blood draw. She was efficient, confident, and clearly knew exactly what she was doing, which made the process quick and comfortable.
However, I was disappointed with how the overall system is set up. It seemed like the nurse was responsible for far more than just patient care—handling paperwork, dealing with insurance, printing labels, and even answering scheduling questions. This not only slows things down but also places unnecessary stress on medical staff who should be focused on their clinical responsibilities.
I believe Quest Diagnostics would benefit greatly from hiring additional staff and better separating front desk duties from laboratory work. Doing so would improve both employee workflow and the patient experience.
MM
Mr.Redfield239
Mar 2, 2026
I arrived for a blood draw. The nurse at the previous clinic, after failing to draw my blood after three pokes, scheduled me to go to Quest Diagnostics to have my blood drawn by the phlebotomist. The phlebotomist said she had thirty years of experience, so I thought it would be different. However, she was confusing. She told me how I should not have been getting my blood drawn from Quest Diagnostics because I was already poked three times that day at the previous clinic, but the phlebotomist was able to do the blood draw on the vein on my left backhand, so I do not know why she said it. During the blood draw, there were things that happened that made my visit uncomfortable. I noticed a red stain on the brown armrest where I am supposed to draw my blood. I told her about this, but she said it was just paint, even going as far as scraping it away with an alcohol pad. The stain was still there. Worse, she did not change her gloves. She criticized the nurse who poked me three times and failed to get a blood draw, citing that the nurse did not know what she was doing. However, it took the phlebotomist two tries before she could get a proper blood draw on the second try. Before the blood draw, I noticed that although she wore gloves, she was opening drawers, taking out supplies, and touching her keyboard. Keep in mind, she was still wearing the same gloves she used to wipe off the red stain. The worst part is that she did not change them when she did my first blood draw. I voiced my concerns about infection control and cross-contamination, but she dismissed my concerns and sounded uncaring and rude. When she failed to draw my blood on the first try after using a straight needle on my right arm, she decided to use a butterfly needle. I do not know why she did not do that before. The nurse at the previous clinic, although unable to get a blood draw, used a different butterfly needle for each try. Although the nurse failed, I appreciated her humility, accountability, and the fact that she scheduled me an appointment for my blood draw at Quest Diagnostics. Back to the phlebotomist. Before the second blood draw, I noticed my blood was on her gloves. Seeing how she touched the environment with her gloves before my first blood draw and fearing cross-contamination with future patients, I asked her about changing her gloves. This made her even more irritated. She said she would change them, but her tone was rude and impatient. She managed to get my blood draw from the vein on my left backhand. Throughout the visit, I felt uncomfortable and scared as if I was going to contract an illness due to the phlebotomist's dismissive and irritable attitude and her negligent and unsafe infection control protocols. As a nurse, I also found it unprofessional of the phlebotomist to speak poorly of other healthcare workers. Granted, I arrived at Quest Diagnostics because I could not get a proper blood draw from the previous clinic; however, the staff at the previous clinic were patient, kind, and not dismissive of my concerns. Even though the phlebotomist was able to get my blood drawn, that does not excuse her lack of bedside manners and negligent and unsafe infection control procedures.