Some benefits of teaching with an EKG practice simulator include the ability for students to become familiar with the appearance and function of the machine in a controlled environment, as well as its reactions to different input. They also allow students to practice using the machines safely and without risk.
An EKG, also known as an ECG or electrocardiogram, is a device that monitors the activity of the heart and displays the results visually as a series spikes and dips across lines along a horizontal plane. Many health professionals use them to monitor a patient's health and diagnose heart issues, as well as perform other tasks within specific situations. Through the use of an EKG practice simulator, medical students have the ability to observe all of the ways in which the machine functions without the need to connect it to a living person. As such, it also removes the risk of causing harm to the subject through improper use of the device.
Many EKG simulators appear in the form of a software program with a visual interface that resembles that of the machine. Controls within the program allow the instructor to create a sample heart rate so that students may study and learn how to interpret the display of the machine. Similarly, the instructor may increase or decrease the heart rate safely so that the students may see the display in such circumstances and test out the different functions of the device.