HCA to CNA Bridge Near Bellevue, WA: 40-Hour Weekday and Weekend Options

Bellevue's assisted-living, memory-care, and home care sector employs many aides who hold an active Washington Home Care Aide (HCA) credential that qualifies them for a 40-clock-hour HCA to CNA bridge instead of the 108-hour traditional course. Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way runs the bridge for $800 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies, as 5 consecutive weekdays or about 2.5 weekends. The commitment is short enough that the 25-mile trip from Bellevue, about 35 to 50 minutes by I-405 and I-5 or 75 to 90 minutes by the 2 Line and 1 Line, is workable. After the bridge, the exam is the standard Washington two-part test: a $100 skills test on site and a $55 Credentia knowledge test.

The math for an Eastside HCA

For someone commuting from Bellevue, the last row but one is the decisive figure. Twenty round trips of 50 miles each, or twenty 75-to-90-minute rail trips, is a real cost in time and fare. Five round trips is not. That is why an Eastside HCA who qualifies for the bridge should take it rather than the full course, even if the traditional program's start date is sooner. The routes are contrasted in CNA Traditional vs HCA-CNA Bridge.

Who qualifies

The bridge uses the state's E6 eligibility route for graduates of a Washington-approved alternative or bridge program. Huduma checks three things at enrollment:

• An active HCA credential on the DOH Provider Credential Search. Pending, expired, or "long-term care worker" without HCA certification does not qualify.
• A high school diploma or GED. Foreign credentials generally need translation or evaluation.
• Availability for all 40 hours. There is no make-up slack in a one-week cohort.

Bellevue aides who earned the HCA through a DSHS-approved 75-hour program and have kept it renewed annually on their birthday meet the credential requirement. Aides who let it lapse should renew first; the DOH portal process is described in Washington CNA renewal; HCAs renew through the same portal.

What the 40 hours add to HCA training

HCA training already covers personal care, client rights, infection control, and communication. The bridge fills in what a facility nursing assistant must do under a licensed nurse: vital signs and measurements, transfers with mechanical equipment, catheter and ostomy care, facility documentation, and the exact tested technique for each skill on the state list.

The mock-testing hours matter most for experienced HCAs, because the skills evaluator scores each step and each spoken explanation, and years of doing a transfer one way do not count if the tested sequence differs. DOH describes a 24-hour bridge minimum; Huduma's 40 hours exist to close that gap. The scoring approach is explained in mock skills testing for Washington CNAs.

Weekday or weekend from Bellevue

5 weekdays. Monday through Friday, about 8 hours per day, ending with the skills test while the practice is fresh. From Bellevue Downtown Station the 2 Line reaches International District/Chinatown in about 22 minutes per Sound Transit, and the 1 Line continues south to Federal Way Downtown; Sound Transit's 2026 service plan lists 1 Line trains every 8 to 10 minutes during the day. Sound Transit route 560 from Bellevue Transit Center to SeaTac/Airport Station plus the 1 Line is the alternative, though Bellevue Transit Center is partly closed for Stride construction through October 2026 and route 560's west end is under review for a November 2026 board vote. Driving is about 35 to 50 minutes.

About 2.5 weekends. Two full weekends plus one additional day, spread over roughly three weeks. This is the pattern most Bellevue aides pick because weekday clients continue uninterrupted and weekend driving on I-405 and I-5 is typically under 45 minutes. Federal Way Downtown Station has a 1,500-stall garage a short walk from the school.

Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit published information as of September 2026. Current cohort dates are on the schedules page.

Why Bellevue HCAs make the change

Overlake Medical Center, Bellevue's hospital and a MultiCare affiliate since 2024, hires nursing assistants and technicians but not HCAs. EvergreenHealth in Kirkland and the Seattle systems now reachable on the 2 Line (UW Medicine, Harborview, Swedish, Virginia Mason) have the same rule. Skilled nursing facilities on the Eastside must staff certified nursing assistants. Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) reports a Washington nursing assistant average of about $23.62 per hour, Seattle about $23.80, and Kirkland about $23.73; Bellevue is not reported separately. Home care and adult family home HCA rates commonly sit closer to the 2026 state minimum of $17.13 per hour, and shift differentials of roughly $1.50 to $4 per hour are a facility and hospital feature that home care rarely offers. The Eastside employers and their hiring rules are laid out in CNA jobs in Bellevue, WA.

From last class day to NA-C

1. Skills test on site at Huduma; $100 to the test site; state rules guarantee at least four attempts.
2. Knowledge test with Credentia, $55, registered only after the skills pass is recorded; an oral version is available.
3. DOH application for the NA-C with the fee on the current schedule and a name-based background check.
4. Registry listing on the Provider Credential Search, which Overlake, EvergreenHealth, and Eastside communities use to verify you.

You keep working as an HCA throughout. Some Eastside aides keep both credentials active afterward so they can combine facility shifts with private home care clients.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the HCA to CNA bridge for a Bellevue home care aide? 40 clock hours, delivered in 5 weekdays or about 2.5 weekends at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way.

How do I get from Bellevue to the bridge program without a car? Ride the 2 Line from any Bellevue station to International District/Chinatown, transfer to a southbound 1 Line train, and exit at Federal Way Downtown; the school is a short walk. Allow 75 to 90 minutes.

Is the weekend bridge realistic from the Eastside? Yes. Two weekends plus one day, with weekend drives typically under 45 minutes, is the pattern most Bellevue aides choose.

Do I take a shorter exam after the bridge? No. The skills test and Credentia knowledge test are identical for bridge and traditional graduates, at $155 total.

Can I apply to Overlake right after the bridge? Once the NA-C is active on the DOH registry and you hold BLS CPR. Hospitals usually prefer 6 to 12 months of experience, so many aides start in an Eastside skilled nursing facility or assisted-living community first.

What if my HCA credential is expired? Renew it through the DOH portal first. The bridge requires an active credential at enrollment.

Admission documents and upcoming cohorts are on the HCA to CNA bridge program page, and the statewide rules for the route are in the HCA to CNA bridge program in Washington.