New Social Media Study: Significant Increase in Use of Social Media for Job Searching, Networking by Healthcare Professionals

SAN DIEGO, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The second annual survey on "Use of Social Media and Mobile by Healthcare Professionals" released today by AMN Healthcare, (NYSE: AHS) the nation's innovator in workforce solutions, shows significant increase from the prior year's results in use of social media by job-seeking healthcare professionals. According to the results of the 2011 survey, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and pharmacists are networking with colleagues, tracking down job leads and applying for new positions at a significantly higher rate year-over-year.

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The social and mobile media survey provides healthcare employers and leaders a snapshot of how clinicians have increased their use of social media and mobile devices for networking, job hunting and other career development activities.

As healthcare professionals continue to migrate to the larger social networking sites, opportunity exists for employers to move into social recruiting and sourcing of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and pharmacists. Job candidates spent more time on social media sites and/or on mobile devices in 2011 and reported an increase in securing interviews, job offers and positions through the use of mobile job alerts.

Susan Salka, AMN's president and chief executive officer, said, "We are not surprised that healthcare professionals continue to adopt social media as a mainstream method for job searching. Our innovative social and mobile methods have been successful in connecting job seekers to opportunities. We plan to continue reporting on significant changes and new, innovative opportunities affecting healthcare professionals and their careers."

AMN Healthcare recently launched the NurseJobs iPhone mobile application, which provides access to thousands of permanent, per diem and travel nurse jobs for registered nurses, nurse practitioners and CRNAs. The NurseJobs application follows the launch of the MHA physician job iPhone application, which launched in mid-2011.

Key Social Media Survey Findings

• In 2011, 1 in 3 respondents cited use of social media when searching for a job, compared with 1 in 5 in 2010.
• Nearly half of all healthcare professionals surveyed said they use social media for professional networking.
• More healthcare professionals are using mobile job alerts year-over-year and success rates are up as well. Of those using job alerts, 10% received an interview, 14% received a job offer and 8% secured a job (compared to 1% securing a job from social media in 2010).
• Physicians continue to be the heaviest users of mobile devices among their medical colleagues for professional reasons; 41% of physicians cited use of mobile devices or tablets for healthcare-related content or jobs in 2011.
• Facebook was once again chosen by 3 out of 4 healthcare professionals surveyed as their most favored site for career-seeking opportunities.

Industry leaders should continue to monitor the effectiveness of various social media networks and related applications as they develop future plans for recruiting, advertising and general communications. To obtain your complimentary copy of the social media and mobile survey results, visit the AMN Healthcare Web site.

About AMN Healthcare

AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. is the nation's innovator in healthcare workforce solutions, including managed services programs, recruitment process outsourcing solutions, recruitment and placement of healthcare professionals into temporary and permanent positions, and consulting services. Clients include acute-care hospitals, government facilities, community health centers and clinics, physician practice groups, and a host of other healthcare settings. AMN achieves unparalleled access to quality healthcare talent through its innovative recruitment strategies and breadth of compelling career-building opportunities offered to healthcare professionals. For more information, visit www.amnhealthcare.com.

SOURCE AMN Healthcare