A nurse was accused of taking a fentanyl patch meant for one of her patients and overdosing at a skilled nursing home in Saxonburg, according to borough police.

Documents showed Amy S. Freehling, 57, of Saxonburg, was found unconscious with the patch in her mouth on Sept. 21 by her co-workers at Embassy of Saxonburg.

She was charged Sept. 29 with two counts of felony endangerment of a care-dependent person, misdemeanors reckless endangerment and theft and summary disorderly conduct following police response to the medical call.

The status of Freehling’s employment was not specified in police documents. Efforts to speak with a representative from the Embassy of Saxonburg were unsuccessful.

Just after 7:20 p.m. Sept. 21, Saxonburg police responded to the nursing home and found Freehling sitting in a chair surrounded by her co-workers. They administered Narcan and Freehling regained consciousness.

Co-workers later told police Freehling started feeling ill around 5 p.m.

According to documents, Freehling requested to have someone finish her shift around 5:30 p.m., and she was later discovered unresponsive and turning blue with a fentanyl patch in her mouth.

When questioned about how the patch got into her mouth, Freehling said, “I don’t know, a resident gave it to me,” according to the affidavit. She was later transported to Butler Memorial Hospital.

Police said no other contraband was found among Freehling’s belongings.

According to her co-workers, Freehling was scheduled to give one of her patients a fentanyl patch every three days. Medical records showed the patient was due to receive a patch that day, and it was obtained but never administered, police said.

Co-workers reported the next day that two patches were signed out to be given to two of Freehling’s patients but were never administered, according to police. Documents showed one patch was the one found in Freehling’s mouth and other was missing.

The two patients were wearing old fentanyl patches for more than the prescribed three days, police said.

Freehling’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Sue Haggerty is scheduled Nov. 8.