Huduma CNA ProgramsA Lakewood, WA Home Care Aide with an active Washington HCA credential can become a Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) through a 40-clock-hour bridge rather than a 108-hour course, and the nearest 40-hour option, at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, is one bus from home: Sound Transit's 574 leaves Lakewood Station and reaches Federal Way Downtown Station in about 41 minutes on the published schedule. The bridge costs $800 tuition plus about $105 for books and supplies, runs either 5 consecutive weekdays or about 2.5 weekends, and leads to the same $155 two-part state exam that traditional graduates take. For an HCA who wants to work at St. Clare Hospital, Western State Hospital, the American Lake VA, or a skilled nursing facility in Lakewood, the bridge is the shortest route to the credential those employers require.
The case for the bridge in Lakewood specifically
Most Washington cities have one or two hospitals that hire nursing assistants. Lakewood has a community hospital, an 806-bed state psychiatric hospital run by DSHS, and a federal VA medical center, plus skilled nursing facilities serving a large retired-military community. None of those employers hire on an HCA credential for nursing assistant roles; all of them verify an NA-C on the DOH Provider Credential Search. An HCA in Lakewood is therefore working in home care and adult family homes while the largest employers in the city sit out of reach for want of 40 hours of training.
The bridge exists because the state recognizes that the 75-hour DSHS HCA curriculum already covers personal care, infection control basics, and client rights. The DOH describes a 24-hour bridge; approved programs may run longer, and Huduma's 40 hours are 36 instructional (17 theory, 13 lab, 6 clinical) plus 4 hours of mock testing. Graduates apply to the DOH under eligibility route E6, the alternative-program route. Why the two credentials differ in scope is set out in CNA Traditional vs HCA-CNA bridge.
Five trips on the 574: weekday or weekend
Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit's 574 timetable effective August 30, 2026.
| Pattern | Calendar | Trips from Lakewood | 574 service on those days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 weekdays | Monday through Friday, one week | 5 round trips | About every 15 minutes morning and midday; every 30 minutes evening |
| About 2.5 weekends | Two full weekends plus part of a third | 5 round trips | Runs on Saturdays and Sundays; check the weekend timetable for headways |
The 574 stops at SR 512 Park and Ride, 26th and D, and Tacoma Dome Station between Lakewood Station and Federal Way, so students on the east side of Lakewood or in Parkland can board at SR 512 instead. Lakewood Station has a 620-space garage for anyone driving from Tillicum, Steilacoom, or the base. Driving all the way is roughly 20 miles (approximate) on I-5 and usually 25 to 40 minutes outside the peak. The school is a short walk from Federal Way Downtown Station and the Federal Way Transit Center.
The weekday pattern suits an HCA who can arrange one week away from clients. The weekend pattern suits an HCA whose agency schedule is Monday to Friday, and a JBLM spouse whose weekdays are spoken for. Both finish with the same skills test.
Hour by hour: what changes from HCA to NA-C
| Block | Hours | What an HCA already knows | What the bridge adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theory | 17 | Client rights, basic infection control, communication | Facility documentation, vital signs, working under a licensed nurse, resident rights under nursing-facility rules |
| Skills lab | 13 | Bathing, dressing, feeding assistance | Mechanical lifts, output measurement, range of motion, the exact spoken and physical sequence the skills evaluator scores |
| Clinical | 6 | Home and adult family home settings | A licensed nursing facility unit, multiple residents, shift documentation |
| Mock testing | 4 | None | Timed practice of the state skills sets with an instructor scoring as the evaluator would |
The lab hours are the heart of the bridge. An HCA is used to doing care well; the skills test scores whether you do it in the state's sequence while narrating the steps. Four hours of mock testing before the real Part 1 exists so that the first attempt is the passing one; the state requires programs to allow at least four attempts, but nobody wants to use them. What the checklist contains is in the Washington CNA skills test skills list.
The bill for a Lakewood HCA
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bridge tuition | $800 |
| Books and supplies | About $105 |
| Part 1 skills test, administered on site | $100 |
| Part 2 Credentia knowledge test | $55 |
| DOH NA-C application | Per the current DOH fee schedule |
| Transit | ORCA fare for 5 round trips on the 574, or fuel and parking |
The exam fees and the DOH fee are the same everywhere in Washington. If your home care agency or adult family home employer offers tuition help, ask before you enroll; some reimburse on completion because an NA-C can be assigned a wider range of tasks under nurse delegation and facility supervision. Payment options for the tuition itself are described in payment plans for CNA training in Washington.
Who qualifies
- Active Washington HCA credential. The DOH must show it as active. An expired HCA has to be renewed first.
- High school diploma or GED.
- Background check before the 6-hour clinical block.
- English sufficient for instruction and for the knowledge test, which is given in English with an oral format available.
Certified HCAs who trained outside Washington do not qualify on that credential alone; the bridge is built on the Washington HCA. Medical assistants have a separate MA bridge. If you are unsure which route applies to you, the E1 through E9 list in Washington CNA eligibility routes E1 to E9 settles it.
After the bridge: Lakewood's employers in order of speed
- Skilled nursing facilities in Lakewood, University Place, and Parkland hire an NA-C immediately and some will hire you as a NAR between the bridge and the exam.
- St. Clare Hospital wants an active NA-C and BLS CPR; experience is a preference, not a bar.
- Western State Hospital posts nursing assistant positions through the state jobs system, with its own classification, pay scale, and background check.
- American Lake VA Medical Center posts on USAJOBS, with a federal background investigation and veterans' preference.
Indeed job-posting data (August 2026) shows a Washington nursing assistant average of about $23.62 per hour with shift differentials of roughly $1.50 to $4 at hospitals and larger facilities; all figures are approximate, and Lakewood is not reported separately. Employer detail is in CNA jobs in Lakewood, WA.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the HCA to CNA bridge take from Lakewood? 40 clock hours: one week of weekdays or about 2.5 weekends, plus about 41 minutes each way on Sound Transit's 574 from Lakewood Station.
Is 40 hours more than the state requires? The DOH describes a 24-hour bridge and allows programs to run longer. The extra hours at Huduma CNA Programs go to lab practice and 4 hours of mock testing.
Can I board the 574 somewhere other than Lakewood Station? Yes. It also stops at SR 512 Park and Ride and Tacoma Dome Station on the way to Federal Way.
Does the bridge include a clinical rotation? Yes, 6 hours in a licensed nursing facility after a background check.
Will Western State Hospital or the VA hire me straight out of the bridge? Both require an active NA-C and run their own hiring processes, which take longer than a private facility. Apply as soon as the DOH issues the credential and expect weeks, not days.
Current bridge cohorts are on the schedules page, and the program details are on the HCA to CNA bridge page.
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