Select Page

Anyone that attends CNA Classes in Washington have a really bright future for many reasons. From the increased demand for their services across the healthcare field in Washington State, to the incredible opportunities you can have down the road as a nursing assistant in Washington. We will cover them all for you and show you how to go about becoming a CNA in Washington.

Search for CNA classes in Washington Below

How to become a CNA in Washington State

Nursing assistants in the state of Washington are regulated by the Washington State Dept. of Health. For eligibility for any employment within the state, you have to complete the training requirements and then get yourself listed on the Department of Aging and Long-Term Support Administration within the Department of Health. The Department of Aging and Long-Term Support Administration handles registry duties for nurse aides in Washington State.

Step 1 – All Entrance Mandates Must be Met

Where nursing assistant training courses are concerned, you will also discover quickly that the majority of authorized programs ask students to supply proof of at least a G.E.D. prior to starting classes. So, no matter your career goal, be sure that you finish this step and the ones listed below.

Be a minimum of 18 years old
Pass background check
Have at east an 8th grade reading level
Hepatitis 8 series plus titer
Current tuberculosis test
Varicella series
MMR series
Current flu vaccination
Tdap within the previous ten years

Step 2 – Enroll in training with a WA-approved CNA program

Nurse assisting programs in Washington are required by state guidelines to be approved by the Washington State Department of Health. If you want to get your CNA certification in the future you will have to attend accredited CNA training and successfully pass the program.

Locating Approved CNA programs in Washington

Beow is the approved list of nurse aide programs from the state of Washington. Click here to find the latest information about regulations and training.

All the Approved Nurse Aide Programs in Washington State

All Schools listed by County and Program Name

Adams County

Avalon Care Center – Othello LLC

Benton County

Tri-Tech Skills Center
Regency Canyon Lakes
Columbia Safety Training Center
Legacy Training Services

Chelan County

Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee Valley College Fast Track
Wenatchee High School
Prestige Care Colonial Vista

Clallam County

Peninsula College
North Olympic Peninsula Skill Center
Forks Community Hospital District No. 1
Sequim Health and Rehabilitation
Clark County
Clark College
Clark County Skills Center
Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School
Clark County Career Development Center
Northwest NAC Training

Columbia County

Columbia County Health System

Cowlitz County

Lower Columbia College
Kelso School District
Frontier Rehabilitation
CNA School of Longview/Health Education Center
CNA Training School of Nursing

Ferry County

Ferry County Memorial Hospital

Franklin County

Columbia Basin College

Garfield County

Garfield County Hospital District

Grant County

Big Bend Community College
Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center
Columbia Basin Job Corps
Columbia Crest Care And Rehabilitation
Lakeridge Solana Alzheimer’s Care Center

Grays Harbor County

Grays Harbor College
Twin Harbors Branch Skills Center

Island County

Skagit Valley College IBEST Whidbey Island Campus
Skagit Valley College Whidbey Island Campus

King County

Bellevue College
Green River Community College
Highline Community College
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
North Seattle Community College
Renton Technical College
Seattle Central Community College
Shoreline Community College
South Seattle Community College
North Shore School District / Health Occupations Program
Puget Sound Skills Center
Renton Technical College at Kentlake – Kentlake High School
Sammamish High School
Seattle Skills Center- Medical Careers
Washington Network for Innovative Careers
Avamere Queen Anne Healthcare
Avamere Richmond Beach
Enumclaw Health and Rehabilitation Center
Issaquah Health and Rehabilitation NAC Training Program
American Healthcare CNA School
Blossom Nursing Assistant Training Program
Crystal Point CNA Training School
Divine CNA Training
DT&T NA Training School
Evergreen Nursing School
Excel Health Careers Training (Conditional Approval)
Health Professionals Institute
Mena Nursing Assistant Training School (Conditional Approval)
Nursing Assistant Training Institute
Nursing Assistant Training School
Royal College Of Medical Training
Wesley CNA Academy

Kitsap County

Olympic College
West Sound Vocational Skills Center
Martha and Mary Health And Rehab
Stafford Healthcare at Ridgemont
Care Plus Home Health, Inc

Kittitas County

Prestige Care Post Acute & Rehabilitation Center

Lewis County

Centralia College
Career in Caregiving

Lincoln County

Lincoln Hospital District #3
Odessa Memorial Hospital

Mason County

Olympic College

Okanogan County

Wenatchee Valley College – Omak Campus
Harmony House Health Care Center
North Valley Extended Care NVEC Blended Learning
North Valley Hospital / Nursing Home

Pend Oreille County

River Mountain Training Center

Pierce County

Bates Technical College
Clover Park Technical College
Clover Park Technical NAC/ESL
Pierce College
Pierce College IBEST
Tacoma Community College
Clover Park High School
Clover Park Technical College at Emerald Ridge High School
Clover Park Technical College at Puyallup High School
Clover Park Technical College at Rogers High School
NW Career and Technical High School
Skills Center
Avamere Heritage Rehabilitation of Tacoma
Avamere Transitional Care of Puget Sound
Cottesmore of Life Care
Life Care Center of Puyallup
Linden Grove
Orchard Park Care Center
Blossom Nursing Assistant Training
ProCare Academy of Washington – Lakewood

Skagit County

Skagit Valley College: Main Campus
Skagit Valley College-Ibest
Northwest Career And Technical Academy
Sunrise Services

Snohomish County

Edmonds Community College
Edmonds Community College-Catch
Everett Community College
Edmonds-Mountlake Terrace High School
Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center
Delta Rehabilitation
Regency Care Center at Monroe
Med Smart Academy (Conditional Approval)
Medprep Vocational Training Center
Northcare Training
Sunrise Services

Spokane County

Spokane Community College – Spokane Campus
Spokane Community College – Spokane Campus
Newtech Skills Center
Franklin Hills Skilled Nursing
Lakeland Village
North Central Care Center
Prestige Care Brighton Court Assisted Living Center
Rockwood Retirement Nursing Assistant Training Program
Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington (Opportunities for Industrialization Center)
Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington – Prosser
Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington
Health Care Training Center
New Chapters In Healthcare Education
Sparrow Healthcare Education, LLC

Stevens County

Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital
Buena Vista Healthcare
Prestige Care & Rehabilitation Pinewood Terrace

Thurston County

South Puget Sound Community College
New Market Vocational Skills Center
Puget Skilled Nursing
ProCare Academy of Washington – Olympia
Simmons And Holliday

Walla Walla County

Walla Walla Community College
County Sea Tech Skills Center
County Park Manor
County Washington Odd Fellows Home

Whatcom County

Bellingham Technical College
Bellingham Technical College I-Best
Whatcom Community College
Alderwood Park Convalescent Center
Avamere Bellingham Healthcare
Avamere St. Francis
Christian Health Care Center
Stafholt Good Samaritan Center

Whitman County

Whitman Health and Rehabilitation Nursing Assistant Training Program

Yakima County

Yakima Valley Community College
Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center
Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center – Sunnyside
Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center Sunnyside Evening
Crescent Health Care
Landmark Care Center
Willow Springs Care
Yakima Valley School
Hillcrest At Summitview

Step 3 – Satisfy the state’s individual training hours requirement

There is a training mandate in Washington State of at least 120 hours of training in a clinical environment, and 55 hours learning time in the classroom. This requirement must be met for the ability to get your CNA license in Washington.

Step 4 – Pass the NNAAP CNA certification exam

The official CNA certification examination given in Washington is the NNAAP and PearsonVue is contracted test provider that administers the test for future nursing assistants in Washington. To see when the upcoming exam dates are at each site, please talk to the provider directly at the link provided.

Fees must be submitted with the individual application. $110 is the fee for the full examination.

Step 5 – Get listed on the WA Certified Nursing Aide Registry

Once you’ve taken and passed the certification examination, the last step you will need to complete to start earning a living as a nursing assistant in Washington is having your name added to the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration nursing aide registry. This is a record of all nursing assistants in the state, and is maintained through the Washington State Department of Health. State regulations mandate that you must be on this record prior to working. No action is usually necessary on your part in order to make this take place.

The registry is usually informed by the examination service shortly after you have passed the NNAAP. In Washington, your name is normally included on the record within a few weeks of passing the certification examination.

If you have any questions about the registry, or your standing on it, you may contact it directly with the details provided below.

WASHINGTON AGING & DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Susan Worthington, BSN, RN Program Manager
NA Training & Competency Evaluation
OBRA-Nurse Aid Registry
PO Box 45600
Olympia, WA 98504-5600
Phone: 360.725.2597
Fax: 360.493.2581

Mindy Schaffner, PhD, MSN, CNS, RN
Associate Director of Nursing Education
State of Washington Department of Health
Quality Assurance Commission
Nursing Assistant Program Approval Panel
PO Box 47864
Olympia, WA 98504-7864
Phone: 360.236.4745

Washington State Department of Health

111 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater, WA 98501

CNA salary and jobs in Washington State

The 17% increased demand for new nursing aides in the State of Washington through 2024 is wonderful for the future of nursing aides and assistants. Feel free to take a look at the table below if you want t learn more about the expected CNA salary and pay for the state of Washington.

LocationPay TypeLowMedianHigh
United StatesHourly$9.64$12.78$18.22
Yearly$20,040$26,590$37,900
WashingtonHourly$10.77$14.06$18.80
Yearly$22,390$29,240$39,110
Central WashingtonHourly$12.44$15.65$22.69
Yearly$25,880$32,550$47,190
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WAHourly$12.37$15.04$19.43
Yearly$25,730$31,290$40,410
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAHourly$11.42$14.70$19.66
Yearly$23,750$30,580$40,890
Bellingham, WAHourly$10.89$14.37$21.65
Yearly$22,660$29,880$45,040
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WAHourly$10.83$14.02$18.21
Yearly$22,530$29,160$37,870
Southwestern WashingtonHourly$10.37$13.94$20.62
Yearly$21,580$28,990$42,880
Tacoma, WAHourly$10.88$13.91$18.40
Yearly$22,620$28,940$38,280
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WAHourly$10.87$13.90$17.96
Yearly$22,610$28,920$37,360
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WAHourly$10.80$13.72$18.08
Yearly$22,460$28,540$37,600
Bremerton-Silverdale, WAHourly$10.43$13.69$18.50
Yearly$21,700$28,480$38,470
Spokane, WAHourly$10.45$13.42$18.13
Yearly$21,740$27,920$37,720
Northwestern WashingtonHourly$10.46$13.30$18.42
Yearly$21,760$27,660$38,320
Eastern WashingtonHourly$10.24$12.93$17.08
Yearly$21,300$26,890$35,520
Lewiston, ID-WAHourly$9.48$12.47$15.93
Yearly$19,730$25,940$33,130
Longview, WAHourly$10.26$12.36$17.38
Yearly$21,350$25,710$36,160
Yakima, WAHourly$10.26$12.33$16.24
Yearly$21,340$25,650$33,780
Olympia, WAHourly$10.20$12.02$17.38
Yearly$21,210$25,000$36,150

Top Local Nurse Aide Classes in Washington State