Objective: Student-faculty trust and related concept characteristics have been shown to be factors associated with successful student learning. Research investigating the role of trust in communications and education has been conducted with students in other disciplines but not with nursing students. The purpose of the research is to investigate the complex relationships between students' trust in faculty, the students' mood states, and students' educational performance and outcomes. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between student-faculty trust and critical thinking skills. A further purpose of this research is to establish a baseline understanding of trust and related characteristics in a typical nursing student population. The hypothesis is that there is a positive correlation between a student's level of trust in his or her instructor, the student's mood state, and the student's success in nursing education. Method: The study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design. Student participants were voluntarily recruited from a BSN nursing education program, and completed three instruments: the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Interpersonal Trust Scale (ITS). The resulting scores were compared and contrasted along with selected demographic variables using statistical methodology as appropriate. Results. The study identified no significant relationships between trust and critical thinking scores, and no significant relationships between total mood disturbance scores and critical thinking scores. The study did identify a significant relationship between total mood disturbance and interpersonal trust. Conclusions: Enhanced understanding and assessment of factors contributing to nursing student success are needed by nurse educators to decrease student attrition and increase graduation rates for students admitted to and enrolled in nursing education programs. Improved understanding of factors related to the successful education of nursing students would serve to improve retention and graduation rates from nursing education programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]