Nursing class reaches out to Idaho sheepherders
This group of herders, originally from Peru, are herding 2,200 sheep throughout Idaho. There are 200 sheepherders in the state.
Author: Katija Stjepovic (KTVB)
Updated: 7:17 PM MDT July 14, 2021
MCCALL, Idaho — A nursing professor and nursing students from Carrington College in Boise are taking time to look after the health of Peruvian sheepherders, as their job can be a trying task -- both mentally and physically.
The group visits the sheepherders once a month to do health checkups, bring them home-cooked meals and educate them on how to cope with and prevent injuries they suffer on the job -- dehydration, leg cramps, isolation and depression, just to name a few. Many of them love their job, love animals, and love the outdoors, but they also say it's hard to be away from family for years on end.