One of the changes wrought by the increased use of mobile technology and social media in health care is how health care professionals are searching for new jobs.

Mobile technology and social media has been permeating the health care industry more and more, and one way they provided change is the way in which health care professionals search for jobs.

In just a year the number of health care professionals networking, finding new jobs and applying for positions has increased significantly, according to a survey by AMN Healthcare. As a result of this growing trend, health care clinicians are shifting away from more traditional job search channels.

Respondents to the survey include pharmacists, physicians, nurses and allied health professionals. In 2011, nearly half (48%) said they use social media for professional networking, which is an increase from 37% the previous year. And 31% used it to search for a job, compared to 21% in 2010.

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While the efficacy of using social media to find a job is still rather low, it is increasing. Only 11% got job interviews, 9% received an offer and 6% found a new job. However, in 2010 only 3% reported finding a new job through the use of social media.

Nurses and allied professionals reported the highest numbers for receiving a job through social media use with 7% and 8%, respectively.

Despite the growing numbers, the top job search methods (and the most successful ones) in 2011 were still referrals, direct contact or recruiter assistance. However, most professionals cited a decrease in referrals — nurses saw the largest decline by 13%.