What are the negatives and positives of being a register nurse?

The positives are that there will always be jobs, RN's can get very high salaries and you can have flexible hours as there are many agencies and facilites where you can work "per diem". (You can actually choose your days and your shifts.) You can do private duty nursing where you only see one client at a time. RNs also can go on to get their masters degree and then command an even higher salary. You might get a really crappy job when you are done with school, but once you put in some time in a hospital or long term care (nursing home) setting and learn some more on the job skills, you can expand your horizons and go into another branch of nursing.
those are the pros. The negative thing is that it is not for everyone. You have to be a strong (emotionally and physically) person to be a nurse. You have to have good coordination to use needles and other devices. You have to be able to think on your feet a lot and make quick decisions. It can be a very stressful field. (most often it is!) It is also a major emotional issue knowing that if you make a mistake, someone could die. (sorry if i'm being too dramatic) And then there's the whole business of getting used to seeing people die. When there are people that you can not help, it can be very emotionally painful too. Mostly, the work is very hard, demanding and fast-paced.
But if you are good at it, it can also be very rewarding.

I have experience in healthcare, although not as an RN. I worked in long term care as a CNA and considered going to school for RN but then realized it wasn't for me.
You have to consider all the factors and then decide.

Good luck!

You can get a job anywhere. There is a shortage or nurses so you can be a little picky. It is perfect if you like helping people. It is fascinating if biology and the human body are of interest to you.

Long hours. Staff shortages. Contact with infectious disease. On your feet a lot. Peoples suffering can get you down.

Having been a registered nurse for 25 years so far, I can say I've seen much progress in the profession. I suppose what is negative/positive is in the eye of the beholder but for me the negatives have been the cronyism and turfing and sense of competition that exists in conventional medicine. There is also closed-mindedness to anything that doesn't pass the venerated scientific study to the detriment of being able to think outside the box and use treatments that actually help people. There is also the stress of being part of a crumbling system that cannot keep caring for people under the crush of the the billions of dollars that it takes to prop the whole system up. The positives of course are helping people one at a time, being able to come alongside someone at perhaps their darkest hour and rendering some comfort. Keeping your eye on helping "one person at a time" can help you stay sane. It is a career of great potential and empowerment if that's your calling but don't do it unless you are aligned body, mind and spirit.

The postives are job security, flexible hours and being able to make a difference in patient's lives.

The negatives are long hours, short-staffing, working with women who are less than supportive, doctors who treat you like you are clueless, patient's who don't understand why you can't bring them a cup of coffee, low wages for the amount of responsibility you carry, high risk of back or other injury, and exposure to infectious diseases.

That being said, if you are really motivated, it can be a great career if you are intelligent and have good self-esteem. Anyone can be a mediocre scut monkey nurse and follow orders. It takes someone who has critical thinking skills to be a great nurse.