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

A Renton home care aide with an active Washington HCA credential can become a Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C) after a 40-clock-hour bridge instead of the 108-hour traditional course. Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, about 15 miles south of Renton, runs the bridge for $800 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies, in either 5 consecutive weekdays or about 2.5 weekends. The exam afterward is the state's standard two-part test: a $100 skills test administered at the school and a $55 Credentia knowledge test. For a Renton aide the practical payoff is access to Valley Medical Center and the city's skilled nursing facilities, which hire NA-Cs but not HCAs.

Why the bridge exists and who it is for

Washington's DSHS-approved HCA training is 75 hours and covers personal care, client rights, infection control, and communication. The state's Board of Nursing recognizes that overlap through eligibility route E6, which lets an active HCA credential holder complete a shorter bridge program rather than repeat the full 108 hours. DOH describes the bridge as a 24-hour minimum; Huduma's version is 40 hours because the skills test requires precise, timed technique that most HCAs have never had to demonstrate.

The bridge is for you if all three apply:

• Your HCA credential shows active on the DOH Provider Credential Search today.
• You have a high school diploma or GED.
• You can attend every hour of a weekday or weekend cohort.

It is not the right route for a caregiver who never completed HCA certification, for an aide whose credential has lapsed and has not been renewed, or for someone who wants to enter a nursing-degree pathway that requires a college-based course. Those cases are compared in understanding the HCA-CNA bridge route.

What changes in your work after the bridge

Valley Medical Center is Renton's second-largest employer, with 4,304 employees in the city's 2023 financial report, and it is part of UW Medicine. Kaiser Permanente also has a large Renton workforce. Neither hires HCAs for bedside roles. Renton's skilled nursing facilities, which must staff certified nursing assistants, are the other door the credential opens. The full employer picture is in CNA jobs in Renton, WA.

The 40 hours in detail

Instructors are licensed nurses with recent direct-care experience, as WAC 246-841A-430 requires. The mock-testing block is where the bridge differs most from HCA training: a skills evaluator scores each step and each spoken explanation, and an aide who has done transfers for years still has to demonstrate them the tested way. The skill list itself is in the Washington CNA skills test skills list.

Weekday and weekend patterns from Renton

Times are approximate and based on Sound Transit and King County Metro published information as of September 2026. The RapidRide F Line from Renton Transit Center to Tukwila International Boulevard Station plus the 1 Line south is a third option for weekday cohorts. From either the light rail station or the Federal Way Transit Center, the school is a short walk. Weekend cohorts fit Renton aides whose clients need weekday visits; weekday cohorts fit aides who can arrange one week of agency coverage and want to test while the practice is freshest. Dates are on the schedules page.

Money: bridge versus retraining

• Tuition: $800 for the bridge, compared with $1,100 for the traditional course.
• Books and supplies: about $105 either way.
• Exam: $100 skills test to the test site and $55 knowledge test to Credentia; $155 regardless of route or school.
• DOH NA-C application: per the current DOH fee schedule.
• Time: 40 hours over 1 to 3 weeks versus 108 hours over 4 weeks; for an aide paid by the shift, the difference in lost income usually exceeds the $300 tuition gap.

Renton aides who are registered with WorkSource or receiving Basic Food benefits may qualify for training funds; see WorkSource, WIOA, and Basic Food Employment and Training.

After the last class: exam and credential

1. Take the skills test on site at the school; $100 to the test site; at least four attempts are guaranteed by state rule.
2. Once the pass is recorded, register on Credentia's site and pay $55 for the knowledge test, online or oral.
3. Submit the DOH NA-C application with the fee on the current schedule; the name-based background check runs at this stage.
4. Watch the Provider Credential Search for the NA-C listing, which Renton employers use to verify you.

While waiting, you may keep working as an HCA. If a Renton skilled nursing facility wants to hire you before the credential posts, it can do so under Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) status with the 4-month completion rule.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours is the HCA to CNA bridge for Renton aides? 40 clock hours at Huduma CNA Programs: 17 theory, 13 lab, 6 clinical, and 4 mock testing, delivered in 5 weekdays or about 2.5 weekends.

How far is the bridge program from Renton? About 15 miles, in Federal Way. Roughly 20 to 35 minutes by car, or 40 to 55 minutes by Sound Transit route 560 and the 1 Line.

Can I work at Valley Medical Center after the bridge? Once your NA-C is active on the DOH registry and you hold BLS CPR, you can apply. Hospitals commonly list 6 to 12 months of experience as preferred; float pool roles are the usual entry.

Does the bridge skills test differ from the traditional one? No. It is the same state skills test at the same $100 fee. The bridge is shorter because your HCA training already covered part of the content.

My HCA credential expired. Can I still bridge? Renew it first through the DOH portal. The bridge requires an active credential at enrollment.

Do I lose my HCA when I become an NA-C? No. Both credentials can stay active, each renewed annually on your birthday.

Admission documents and upcoming cohorts are on the HCA to CNA bridge program page.