FSTE Health Care Training Academy, Ltd.
About
First Step to Excellence Health Care Training Academy, Ltd., based in Chicago, IL, is a vocational school offering approved healthcare training. Incorporated in 2015 and opened in 2016, the academy provides certificate programs and short courses including Practical Nurse Training (LPN), Basic Nurse Assistant Training (CNA), Phlebotomy, EKG certification, and American Heart Association CPR training.
The Practical Nursing program (1080 clock hours, hybrid) is approved by the Illinois Nursing Board, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Private Business and Vocational Schools Division, and qualifies graduates to sit for the Illinois NCLEX-PN. The Basic Nurse Assistant program (hybrid, 6 weeks) is approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health and IBHE and prepares students for the Illinois nursing assistant certification exam. Phlebotomy training includes lecture, lab, and externship; CPR courses are offered in blended eLearning plus in-person skills sessions or traditional classroom format.
Most programs use a hybrid format with online theory and on-site labs and clinicals at affiliated facilities. Practical Nursing admissions are typically in January and August, and TEAS or HESI scores are accepted. A $325 registration fee applies to CNA, Phlebotomy, and EKG programs, and payment plans are available. The academy partners with clinical affiliates that may offer job opportunities to qualified graduates, though employment is not guaranteed. FSTE is approved to operate by IBHE’s PBVS Division and notes it is not accredited by a U.S. Department of Education–recognized accrediting body and does not accept FAFSA.