My friend trained in her late 40s. 5 years later she is burnt out.
She has now left the nhs ...brilliant nurse and works her socks off, now agency nurse who works in an nhs hospital in the same department so no variance. They love hee so she is welcomed back with open arms. She is paid well, works 3 days per week long shifts. Very demanding environment but by her own admission is war weary and alot of her compassion has waned, not gone, but severely waned.
Consider how much it will cost you to train and how little you'll be paid on qualifying. I know many band 7s who have dropped to band 6s and 6s who dropped to 5s because they couldn't cope with the increased work pressures and demands . So the pay scale might look OK once you go up the ranks but unless you are very lucky and end up in a certain niche you will earn every penny of that money and some with a banana on top!!!.
Consider if you are physically mentally and emotionally up to a very demanding stressful job. My friend has nearly unravelled at work on many occasions due to competing demands and pressures.
I can also speak from experience. I am retiring in a few months and I literally thank my lucky stars I am still alive, sane and have come out relatively unscathed and I'm not being flippant.
Don't underestimate the impending menopause and how that will affect you too. I sort of pooh poohed it as a thing but it is definitely a thing.
I have worked in hospitals community, private nhs and abroad. If I had a daughter i would tell her to do anything but be a nurse. But if healthcare is your thing, consider physio ot SLT podiatry dietitian, they have their challenges and demands but with great respect it is not on the same scale as nursing.
Talk to those around you and ask alot of questions you will get a better measure of what it is like where you live and the working culture there. Some areas have better and more supportive management structure but bullying is commonplace bottom up and top down.
When all is said and done nursing has a variety of opportunities and areas to work in and it has taken me to some far flung places but if I had my time over again I wouldn't do it.
If you decide to go ahead, time for you is more limited to try different areas. Make the most of your placements, decide early what you want to do and find the quickest way up the ladder, extra training will help with this. So get on board with this as early as possible.
Ps make sure you sort out your pension ASAP be it nhs or elsewhere and contribute as much as you can . At 50 I thought I was still good for another 10 years. 7 years and a menopause has put the kibosh on that !!
Good luck whatever your decision.