Not now OP. I qualified and worked for 5 years before deciding not to continue. I now do something in a different field.
You come into the profession to do a good job. But you can't. There's not enough staff to give good care and I didn't go into it planning to do a half arsed job.
Going home realising your best efforts weren't enough because there aren't three of you.
Constantly juggling very ill patients. Many people (often, but not always, older) don't realise that years ago patients just weren't as ill. You stayed in hospital for 3 weeks for an appendix (albeit not keyhole) and spent your last week helping with light work on the ward, like handing out food trays. It's not comparable.
You can't sit with an elderly/ frightened/ lonely person for a few minutes to reassure them. The time is not there.
Constantly being called "too posh to wash". I'm not avoiding basic care, I'm trying to do the medication round, do IVs, sort out an NG tube, bleep the on call because a patient is deteriorating, try and sort out a safe discharge and speak to an upset family. I'm not eating Hobnobs and watching the health care assistants.
Knowing that if I make a mistake under stress, the NMC will have me for breakfast.
And that's why I would discourage any family member from nursing.