Military Medics and Corpsmen: Becoming a CNA in Washington

A service member or veteran with military medical training can become a Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C or NAC) in Washington through eligibility route E3, "military nursing student," which recognizes formal military health-care training in place of a civilian nursing assistant program. Under E3 you skip the 108-hour civilian course and go directly to Washington's two-part exam: a $100 in-person skills test scheduled through the Board of Nursing's online system, then a $55 Credentia knowledge test. Route E3 depends on documentation the Board of Nursing accepts, so the decision for most medics and corpsmen comes down to how fast they can produce transcripts versus how fast a 4-week civilian program would get them the same credential with less paperwork.

Who route E3 is designed for

Route E3 targets people whose military occupational training covered basic nursing care. The specialties most commonly involved:

• Army 68W Combat Medic Specialist and related medical MOSs.
• Navy Hospital Corpsman (HM), including corpsmen assigned to Marine units.
• Air Force Aerospace Medical Service (4N0X1) technicians.
• Coast Guard Health Services Technician (HS).
• Military nursing students in service-run health-care courses, which is the route's formal name.

Two facts shape everything else. First, the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) evaluates each applicant's training on the documents; there is no automatic MOS-to-credential list. Second, Washington's civilian program standard is 108 clock hours, with 40 of them in a licensed nursing facility. Military training typically exceeds the theory and skills hours by a wide margin but rarely includes nursing-home clinical time, which is why some applicants are asked for additional evidence.

Documents to gather before you contact WABON

Request the JST or CCAF transcript first; it is free and takes the longest to arrive if your records are incomplete. Then write to WABON with a description of your specialty, your training dates, and copies of the transcript entries, and ask whether route E3 applies and what else is needed. Keep the written answer for your DOH application.

Route E3 versus a civilian program

The decision rule: if you separated recently, have your JST in hand, and performed patient care regularly, pursue E3 and self-schedule. If your records are hard to obtain, your medical duties were mostly field or clinic based with little bedside nursing care, or you want to start work in the civilian system fast, the 4-week program at Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way is often the quicker path. Federal Way sits between Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Seattle, reachable by the Federal Way Downtown Link light rail station and the Sound Transit 574 from Tacoma.

Taking the exam under route E3

Because no civilian program is administering your skills test, you schedule Part 1 yourself:

1. After WABON confirms your eligibility, use the WABON online scheduling system to book a skills test at a site that accepts outside candidates. Availability varies; book early.
2. Pay the $100 skills fee to the test site and bring government photo ID matching your registration name exactly.
3. After the site records your pass, register with Credentia for the $55 knowledge test. Registering before the pass is recorded wastes the fee.
4. Direct skills-testing questions to nac.exam@doh.wa.gov.

The skills test scores fixed critical steps in a civilian nursing assistant format: explaining each step to the resident, hand hygiene sequence, checking water temperature, locking brakes, and completing tasks within time. Medics and corpsmen are used to a trauma or sick-call tempo and often lose points on the slow, verbalized, resident-centered format rather than on technique. A mock session at an approved test site before the real attempt is a common fix; see mock skills testing for the Washington CNA exam and the Washington NAC exam guide.

The DOH application and background check

After both exam parts, apply to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) for the NA-C. Include the WABON eligibility determination, exam results (transmitted by the test site and Credentia), and the application fee per the DOH fee schedule. DOH runs a name-based Washington background check; a service member who has lived in Washington only briefly may be asked for a fingerprint check. Answer the conviction questions fully, including any military justice matters that resulted in a conviction. The Washington CNA background check article covers what is reviewed.

Washington law directs DOH to consider military training and experience toward credentialing requirements and to expedite applications from military spouses and domestic partners. If you are a spouse holding a nurse aide credential from another state, the endorsement route (E4) with verification from that state's registry is usually faster than E3; see CNA reciprocity in Washington.

Where veterans work as nursing assistants in Washington

Washington has a dense veteran-facing health-care network that values military medical experience:

• VA Puget Sound Health Care System (Seattle and American Lake campuses).
• Washington State Veterans Homes, state-operated skilled nursing facilities.
• Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which hires civilian nursing assistants.
• MultiCare in Tacoma and Auburn, Virginia Mason Franciscan at St. Joseph Tacoma and St. Francis Federal Way, and Western State Hospital in Lakewood.

Statewide job-posting data puts nursing assistant pay at about $23.62 per hour (approximate, August 2026), with shift differentials of roughly $1.50 to $4 per hour common in facilities. Details are in CNA salary in Washington State.

Using the NA-C as a step toward nursing

Many medics and corpsmen plan on LPN or RN school. The NA-C provides civilian bedside hours and income during prerequisites, and Washington nursing programs are familiar with the JST. Note that the NA-C credential renews annually on your birthday with no continuing education for a standard credential, so keeping it active while in nursing school is inexpensive. Once you are enrolled in a nursing program, route E2 (nursing student) becomes available, but by then you will already hold the credential.

Frequently asked questions

Does a 68W or corpsman rating automatically qualify me as a CNA in Washington? No. Route E3 requires WABON to review your training documentation. Most medics and corpsmen with recent patient-care duties are accepted, but the determination is individual.

Which transcript do I need? The Joint Services Transcript for Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard; the Community College of the Air Force transcript for Air Force and Space Force.

Can I use VA education benefits for a civilian CNA program? Only if the program is approved by Washington's state approving agency for VA benefits. Ask the program directly before enrolling.

Do I have to take a different exam under E3? No. Both parts are identical for every route: $100 skills test, then $55 knowledge test.

I earned a CNA in another state while stationed there. Which route? Route E4, endorsement with verification from that state's registry, is usually simpler than E3.

Is there a faster option than waiting for WABON? Yes. An approved program such as the CNA Traditional course makes you eligible under route E1 in 4 weeks with on-site skills testing. Class dates are on the schedules page.

For an overview of all nine routes, read Washington CNA eligibility routes E1 through E9.