CNA Classes Lakewood WA: Programs, Costs, Commute

Lakewood, WA sits at the south end of Pierce County next to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and its own transit hub, Lakewood Station on Pacific Highway SW, is the southern terminal of Sound Transit's route 574, which reaches Federal Way Downtown Station in about 41 minutes per the published schedule. That makes the 4-week, 108-clock-hour Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) course at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, priced at $1,100 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies, a direct one-bus trip for Lakewood residents. Every Washington program must deliver at least 108 hours (35 theory, 33 skills lab, 40 clinical) and every graduate pays the same $155 for the two-part state exam, so the choice for a Lakewood student is about start dates, the total bill, where the skills test is given, and how many days you will make the trip.

What is on the table for a Lakewood student

Lakewood has a heavier concentration of health care institutions than most cities its size: St. Clare Hospital on Bridgeport Way SW (Virginia Mason Franciscan Health), Western State Hospital on Steilacoom Boulevard SW (the state psychiatric hospital, run by DSHS, listed at 806 beds), the American Lake VA Medical Center on Veterans Drive SW, and skilled nursing facilities and adult family homes that serve a large retired-military population. Those institutions shape the training options.

Option	Typical length	Where the skills test happens	Points to check
Pierce County community college NA-C course	One academic quarter	College or a booked WABON test site	Quarter start dates, prerequisites, per-credit tuition
Nursing facility training in Lakewood or Tacoma	Weeks, while working as a NAR	Facility or booked site	Employment commitment, hours per week, who pays
Private training center in Lakewood or Tacoma	Varies	Varies	WABON approval, 108 hours, total cost, on-site testing
Huduma CNA Programs, Federal Way	4 weeks, day or weekend pattern	On site	Start dates; one bus from Lakewood Station

A nursing-facility program can be free or paid, which is attractive, but it usually requires you to work for that facility and to train around its staffing, so the calendar stretches. The private 4-week course costs money up front and finishes in 20 class days. Community college fits a nursing pathway and a quarter calendar. The comparison is developed in CNA training at a nursing home vs a training center in Washington.

The 574: Lakewood's direct line to Federal Way

Times are approximate and taken from Sound Transit's published 574 schedule effective August 30, 2026.

Lakewood Station (Bay 4) to Federal Way Downtown Station (Bay 7): about 41 minutes, stopping at SR 512 Park and Ride, 26th and D in Tacoma, and Tacoma Dome Station on the way.
Frequency: roughly every 15 minutes in the morning and midday, every 30 minutes in the evening; first trips before 5 a.m., last northbound trip around 11 p.m.
Parking: Lakewood Station has a four-story garage with 620 spaces, so driving to the station and riding is realistic for students in Tillicum, Steilacoom, or the JBLM gates.
From other parts of Lakewood: Pierce Transit local routes feed Lakewood Station and the SR 512 Park and Ride; the 574 also stops at the SR 512 lot, which is closer for the east side of the city.
Driving: I-5 north to S 320th Street, roughly 20 miles (approximate), typically 25 to 40 minutes outside the peak, longer through the Tacoma segment at rush hour.

The 574 runs seven days a week, which matters for the weekend cohort. Huduma CNA Programs is a short walk from Federal Way Downtown Station and the Federal Way Transit Center.

Total cost for a Lakewood student

Cost	Huduma CNA Programs	Every program
Tuition	$1,100 (traditional) or $800 (HCA bridge)	Varies by school
Books and supplies	About $105	Varies
Part 1 skills test	$100, on site	$100 at any site
Part 2 knowledge test	$55 to Credentia	$55
DOH application	Per the current DOH fee schedule	Same
Transit	ORCA fare on the 574 for 20 trips (traditional) or 5 trips (bridge)	Depends on the route

Military spouses and veterans in Lakewood often have access to training funds that civilians do not; the route through WorkSource and WIOA applies to everyone and is explained in WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training. Anyone with a military medic or corpsman background should also read military medics and corpsmen becoming CNAs in Washington before paying for a full course.

Where Lakewood graduates work

The employer list within the city is unusual: a community hospital (St. Clare), a state hospital with hundreds of beds (Western State), and a VA medical center with a Community Living Center offering 24/7 nursing care. Add Tacoma's hospitals 10 to 15 minutes up I-5, MultiCare Tacoma General and St. Joseph Medical Center among them, and skilled nursing facilities across Lakewood, University Place, and Parkland. Job-posting data from Indeed (August 2026) gives a Washington average of about $23.62 per hour for nursing assistants; Lakewood is not reported separately, and state and federal positions follow their own pay tables. Details are in CNA jobs in Lakewood, WA.

Decision rules for Lakewood

Do you hold an active Washington HCA credential? Skip the 108-hour course and take the 40-hour bridge for $800; it is 5 trips on the 574, not 20.
Do you need the credential in a month? The 4-week private course is the fastest path; community college waits for the quarter.
Do you want a facility to pay? Ask Lakewood and Tacoma skilled nursing facilities whether they sponsor NAR training; read the work commitment before signing.
Do you work weekdays? Pick the weekend cohort. The 574 runs on weekends, so the commute does not change.
Do you want the skills test where you trained? Confirm that any program you consider administers Part 1 on site; otherwise you book through WABON online scheduling and travel again.

How the Federal Way course runs

The CNA Traditional program delivers 35 hours of theory, 33 hours of skills lab, and 40 clinical hours in a licensed nursing facility, taught by licensed nurses with recent direct-care experience, as WAC 246-841A requires. Students need a high school diploma or GED, pass a background check before clinical placement, receive a Certificate of Completion, and take the $100 skills test on site. The HCA to CNA bridge is 40 clock hours over 5 weekdays or about 2.5 weekends. Instruction is in English. Current cohorts are on the schedules page.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the trip from Lakewood to CNA class in Federal Way? About 41 minutes on Sound Transit's 574 from Lakewood Station, or 25 to 40 minutes by car on I-5 outside the peak.

Are there CNA classes in Lakewood? Nursing facilities and some private programs operate in Lakewood and neighboring Tacoma, and Pierce County has community college options. Verify any program on the WABON approved list and confirm the 108 hours.

Can a military spouse at JBLM take the course? Yes. The requirements are a high school diploma or GED, a background check before clinicals, and English proficiency. The traditional course has no residency requirement.

Does the weekend pattern take longer than 4 weeks? The traditional course runs 108 hours either way; the weekend pattern spreads them over more calendar weeks. Ask for the exact calendar on the schedules page.

Is the exam the same at every school? Yes. Part 1 is a $100 skills test administered by the program or at a booked site; Part 2 is Credentia's $55 knowledge test, taken after the skills pass is recorded.

For the full sequence from enrollment to an active credential on the DOH registry, read how to become a CNA in Washington State.

Which path may fit you?

Already an eligible HCA?

Review the HCA–CNA Bridge Program and confirm the active Washington HCA credential requirement before choosing a class.

Explore the HCA–CNA Bridge Program

Starting CNA training?

Review CNA Traditional, the complete training route for learners who are not entering through the HCA bridge route.

Explore the CNA Traditional Program