DOH Works to Include Nursing Assistants in 365-Day Credentialing Timeline

As reported in a previous edition of this newsletter, home care aide (HCA) applicants who were in “pending” status on the Department of Health (DOH) provider credential search website on August 25, 2025 or hired after August 25, 2025 now have 365 days from their date of hire to obtain an active HCA credential.  Please note, these individuals still must complete their home care aide training within 120 days of hire.

This temporary change will expire on December 31, 2027 and allow time for the Washington State Auditor to review concerns with the HCA application, testing, and credentialing process.

This accommodation was welcomed by WHCA and its assisted living members. However, it also caused some frustration for long term care workers who opted for nursing assistant certification (NAC) training rather than HCA.  These individuals were not directly included the legislation, and therefore still had to obtain certification within 200 days of starting work.

WHCA met with Residential Care Services (RCS) and DOH staff to troubleshoot the issue and discovered a discrepancy between a WAC and RCW that, if corrected via folding new language into the current emergency rule, could allow DOH to include nursing assistant students in the 365-day certification timeline as well.

WHCA staff are grateful to DOH and RCS leadership for their willingness to work on solutions, thus minimizing obstacles to employment in long-term care facilities.

DOH is currently opening the emergency rule to allow nursing assistants 365 days to get certified from the date of hire, just the same as HCAs. RCS representatives stated they would update the recently-issued Dear Provider Letter to include nursing assistants in this emergency provision.  WHCA will notify members when both issues have been completed and published.

For more questions about HCA or NAC timelines, email Vicki McNealley or call 360-352-3304 extension 107.