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

For a Bothell Home Care Aide, the difference between an HCA to CNA bridge and the traditional nursing assistant course is 68 hours and $300: the bridge at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way is 40 clock hours for $800 tuition, the traditional course is 108 hours for $1,100, and both lead to the same Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) exam ($100 skills test on site, then $55 to Credentia). Eligibility is an active Washington HCA credential plus a high school diploma or GED. The bridge runs as 5 consecutive weekdays or about 2.5 weekends, and from Bothell that means five trips of about 36 miles by car or roughly two hours by ST Express 522 and the 1 Line, rather than twenty.

The two calendars, side by side

Hours are identical in both: 17 theory, 13 lab, 6 clinical, 4 mock testing. Cohort dates for each pattern are on the schedules page.

Who qualifies, and who does not yet

Bothell's HCA workforce is large because the city and its Snohomish County neighbors have a dense band of senior living and home care. To enroll in the bridge you need:

• An active HCA credential. Check it on the DOH Provider Credential Search. HCA credentials renew annually on your birthday; if yours has lapsed, renew it before applying. A credential that is merely applied for, or one that expired years ago and cannot be reactivated, does not qualify.
• A high school diploma or GED. Foreign credentials need an equivalency evaluation.
• A clear background check before the clinical block. The DOH runs a name-based statewide check; the program requires clearance before you enter the nursing facility.

If you completed the 75-hour HCA training but never took the HCA exam, you are not an HCA and cannot bridge. The 108-hour CNA Traditional program is the route in that case.

Why the bridge is shorter but not easier

The DSHS-approved HCA curriculum already covers personal care, infection control, client rights, communication, and safety. The bridge does not repeat that; it adds what nursing facilities and the state skills test require:

1. Facility routines and documentation in a nursing home chart, which differs from home care notes.
2. Vital signs to test standard, including accurate measurement and recording within the tolerances the examiner accepts.
3. Mobility skills scored step by step: transfers with a gait belt, ambulation, positioning, and range of motion.
4. Elimination and catheter care, which many HCA roles never perform.
5. The indirect-care steps that are scored on every skill: explaining the procedure, hand hygiene, privacy, call light placement, and safety checks.

The knowledge test and skills test are the same for bridge and traditional candidates, which is why Huduma's version is 40 hours rather than the 24 the DOH describes as a minimum. Statewide bridge rules are summarized in understanding the HCA to CNA bridge route.

Bothell to Federal Way, five times

Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit and Community Transit published information as of September 2026.

• Driving: about 36 miles via I-405 south and I-5 south, roughly 45 minutes off-peak, longer in the afternoon return. Station garage parking in Federal Way has about 1,500 stalls; the school is a short walk.
• ST Express 522 and the 1 Line: 522 along Bothell Way to Shoreline South/148th Station, then the 1 Line south to Federal Way Downtown. Plan about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• From Canyon Park: Sound Transit Express 535 north to Lynnwood City Center Station and the 1 Line the full length south, roughly 80 to 90 minutes on the train alone.

Weekday students on the rail route should note that the 1 Line runs about every 10 minutes at peak and less often after 9 p.m.; a full class day plus two hours each way is long, but it is five days.

Cost table and what changes after

After certification you hold both credentials. The NA-C opens EvergreenHealth Kirkland, Swedish Edmonds, Providence Everett, and every skilled nursing facility, where Indeed's August 2026 posting data shows nearby averages of about $23.73 per hour in Kirkland and about $24.89 in Everett, approximate. Bothell employers by setting are covered in CNA jobs in Bothell, WA.

Step-by-step from enrollment to registry

1. Verify the HCA credential is active and gather the diploma or GED.
2. Enroll for a weekday or weekend cohort and submit background-check consent early.
3. Complete the 40 hours, including the 6-hour nursing facility clinical and the 4 mock-testing hours.
4. Take the skills test on site ($100). If you do not pass, retest; the program must allow at least four attempts.
5. Register with Credentia for the knowledge test ($55) after the skills pass is recorded; online or oral format.
6. Apply to the DOH under route E6 with the fee per the current schedule.
7. Confirm the NA-C on the Provider Credential Search and notify your employer. The registry mechanics are explained in the Washington CNA registry.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the nearest HCA to CNA bridge for Bothell residents? Short bridge cohorts for active HCAs are a private-program offering; the nearest with both weekday and weekend patterns is the 40-hour course in Federal Way. Bothell's nearby colleges run the full nursing assistant certificate on the quarter system.

Can I do the bridge over weekends while working full time in Bothell? Yes. The weekend pattern takes about 2.5 weekends and requires no weekday leave.

My HCA credential expires next month. Should I renew before enrolling? Yes. The credential must be active on the day you enroll and through the course. Renew through the DOH portal first.

Do I need to repeat the 40 clinical hours from HCA training? No. The bridge includes 6 clinical hours in a licensed nursing facility, which is the setting HCA training does not cover.

Is the exam different for bridge graduates? No. Same skills test, same Credentia knowledge test, same $155. Only the DOH eligibility route on the application differs.

Enrollment and documents are on the HCA to CNA bridge program page; a plain comparison of both paths is in CNA Traditional vs HCA-CNA Bridge.