Roles between Department of Health (DOH) and Dept. of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Aging and Long-Term Support Administration

DSHS DOH
The Department of Social and Health Services ensures an NAC meets federal requirements to work in a nursing home. The Department of Health (DOH) assures that each nursing assistant applying for a nursing assistant certification meets minimum requirements to work in any setting as a nursing assistant.
  The NAC receives their training and certification license from DOH.

Nursing Assistant Certified shall be issued by DOH to any applicant who demonstrates to the DOH satisfaction that the following requirements have been met: 

  1. Completion of an approved training program or successful completion of alternate training meeting established criteria approved by the commission (DOH); and
  2. Successful completion of a competency evaluation (test).

In addition, applicants shall be subject to the grounds for denial of certification under chapter 18.130RCW in The Law Relating to Nursing Assistants Book published by DOH.

      3. The NA candidate receives their testing from DOH.
If employed in a nursing home, you must have completed training and OBRA testing and get certified (licensed) through DOH – all within 4 months from day you start work. If employed in a nursing home, you must register with DOH within three (3) days of employment to first obtain a nursing assistant registered (NAR).  A Nursing Assistant Registered (NAR) license is issued by Dept. of Health to any applicant who pays any applicable fees and submits, on forms provided by DOH, the applicant's name, address, and other information as determined by DOH provided there are no grounds for denial of registration or issuance of a conditional registration under the chapter 18.130RCW in The Law Relating to Nursing Assistants Book published by DOH.
If you are hired by a nursing home to work as a nursing assistant while you are in training, you cannot perform nursing assistant skills for which you have not yet been trained. Unprofessional conduct of any kind may result in permanent or temporary loss of a Nursing Assistant's Certification (license)