Huduma CNA ProgramsFor a Home Care Aide in Burien, WA with an active Washington HCA credential and a high school diploma or GED, the route to Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) is a 40-clock-hour bridge, and the nearest verified one with on-site testing runs at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way: $800 tuition plus about $105 for books and supplies, offered as 5 consecutive weekdays or about 2.5 weekends, ending with the $100 skills test in the same building. Burien to Federal Way is 20 to 30 minutes by car via SR 509 or I-5, or 45 to 60 minutes by the F Line to Tukwila International Boulevard Station and the 1 Line south. Because the bridge is one week or three weekends rather than the traditional course's 4 weeks, the longer commute costs a Burien caregiver five or six round trips instead of twenty.
Why a Burien HCA should bridge rather than retrain
Burien's care economy runs on the HCA credential: home care agencies serving Seahurst, Gregory Heights, and Boulevard Park, assisted living communities on Ambaum Boulevard and 1st Avenue South, and adult family homes across the city all hire the 75-hour DSHS certification. What the HCA cannot do is work as a nursing assistant at St. Anne Hospital (formerly Highline Medical Center, per Virginia Mason Franciscan Health) or in a skilled nursing facility. The NA-C opens those doors, and the bridge gets there in 40 hours because the state, through WABON, recognizes HCA training as covering the personal-care portion of nursing assistant training.
Concretely, the 108-hour traditional course spends 40 hours in a clinical facility and 33 in a lab teaching skills an HCA already performs. The bridge cuts clinical to 6 hours and lab to 13, and puts the remaining time into what HCA training skips: vital signs as a nursing assistant records them, facility documentation, resident rights under nursing facility rules, and the test-day format. The scope difference between the two credentials is set out in understanding the HCA-CNA bridge route.
Eligibility checklist for Burien applicants
- Washington HCA credential shows active on the DOH Provider Credential Search today, not expired and not pending.
- High school diploma or GED in hand. A foreign diploma with an evaluation generally works; ask the school.
- Able to clear the name-based statewide background check before the clinical block.
- Available for all 40 hours in the chosen pattern; Washington certifies clock hours, so missed sessions must be made up.
- Comfortable with instruction and testing in English (an oral knowledge test is available).
A caregiver whose HCA has lapsed must renew it before enrolling. A caregiver who worked in home care for years but never certified as an HCA is not eligible and takes the 108-hour route; the two paths are laid side by side in compare Huduma CNA program paths.
Hours, cost, and calendar
| HCA to CNA bridge | Traditional NA-C course | |
|---|---|---|
| Theory | 17 hours | 35 hours |
| Skills lab | 13 hours | 33 hours |
| Clinical in a licensed nursing facility | 6 hours | 40 hours |
| Mock testing | 4 hours | Included in the 4 weeks |
| Total clock hours | 40 | 108 |
| Calendar | 5 weekdays, or about 2.5 weekends | 4 weeks |
| Tuition | $800 | $1,100 |
| Books and supplies | About $105 | About $105 |
| Skills test, on site | $100 | $100 |
| Credentia knowledge test | $55 | $55 |
| Eligibility route on the DOH application | E6 | E1 |
DSHS describes the state bridge as 24 hours minimum; Huduma's 40-hour version is longer by design, and the extra hours are lab and mock testing rather than lecture.
Weekday week versus weekend cohort from Burien
Weekday pattern. Monday through Friday, one week, 5 round trips. Best for agency caregivers who can hand clients to a colleague for a week, or for assisted living staff using PTO. Weekday transit from Burien is at its best: the F Line runs every 10 minutes at peak per Metro, and the 1 Line every 4 minutes at peak on the combined line per Sound Transit's schedule.
Weekend pattern. Saturday and Sunday sessions over about three weekends, 6 round trips. Best for caregivers who cannot drop weekday clients. Weekend transit is thinner (F Line every 15 minutes most hours, route 166 peak-oriented), so most Burien weekend students drive, about 13 to 15 miles each way, or park at Tukwila International Boulevard Station (600 stalls per Sound Transit) and ride the 1 Line for the last 20 to 25 minutes. Federal Way Downtown Station's 1,500-stall garage is the alternative for a full drive.
The current cohorts of each pattern are on the schedules page.
The commute, both ways
Times are approximate and based on King County Metro and Sound Transit published information as of September 2026, including the August 29, 2026 South King County service change.
| From Burien | Route | Approximate time |
|---|---|---|
| Burien Transit Center, transit | F Line east to Tukwila International Boulevard Station, 1 Line south five stops to Federal Way Downtown | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Burien Transit Center, transit | Route 166 to Kent Des Moines Station via Normandy Park and Des Moines, 1 Line two stops south | 45 to 60 minutes |
| Downtown Burien or Seahurst, car | SR 509 south, then SR 516 or I-5 to South 320th Street | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Boulevard Park or North Burien, car | I-5 south | 20 to 30 minutes, longer at peak |
Huduma CNA Programs is a short walk from Federal Way Downtown Station and the Federal Way Transit Center.
What changes for a Burien caregiver after the NA-C posts
- Hospital eligibility. St. Anne Hospital in Burien is reachable by DART route 631 from Burien Transit Center, and Seattle hospitals by the H Line. Both hire NA-Cs, not HCAs, for nursing assistant roles.
- Skilled nursing. Facilities in Burien and Tukwila hire NA-Cs at rates that, in Burien, cannot fall below the city minimum of $20.63 to $21.63 per hour for employers with 21 or more staff, per L&I's local rate list.
- Pay reference. Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) shows a Washington nursing assistant average of about $23.62 per hour; Burien is not reported separately.
- Keeping the HCA. Both credentials can stay active on the registry, so a caregiver can keep private clients while adding facility shifts. Each renews on its own cycle; the NA-C renews annually on your birthday with no continuing education for a standard credential.
Employer detail for the city is in CNA jobs in Burien, WA.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an HCA to CNA bridge program in Burien or White Center? Bridge programs are rarer than full programs. Check the WABON approved-program list for any local option; Federal Way's 40-hour bridge is 20 to 30 minutes by car and tests on site.
How long is the bridge compared with the full CNA course? 40 clock hours against 108. In calendar terms, one weekday week or about three weekends against 4 weeks.
Will my HCA credential be cancelled when I get the NA-C? No. The HCA remains on the registry as long as you renew it. Many bridge graduates hold both.
Does the bridge include clinical time in a nursing facility? Yes, 6 supervised hours in a licensed nursing facility, which is why the background check must clear before that day.
What is the total cost from Burien? $800 tuition, about $105 for books and supplies, $100 for the skills test, $55 for the knowledge test, the DOH application fee per the current fee schedule, and ORCA fare or fuel for five or six trips.
Requirements and enrollment steps are on the HCA to CNA bridge program page, and the statewide rules for bridge graduates are in the HCA to CNA bridge program in Washington.
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 ProgramStarting 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