An RN program that is not accredited?

I could be incorrect, but without accrediting you may not be able to sit for the NCLEX, or transfer your license to other states. This was an example given to me here on AN.

Always go with an accredited school :)

This is incorrect. There is no US state that requires accreditation (of your school) in order for one to be eligible for licensure. You just have to be a graduate of a school approved by the BON of the state in which the school is located.

"Accreditation" in nursing refers to accreditation by the NLNAC or CCNE, the two organizations that accredit nursing schools. NLNAC or CCNE accreditation indicates that the school has voluntarily met a higher set of academic and professional standards than the minimum standards established by the state BONs. The importance of this, to students, is that most higher education programs in nursing (graduate programs) require you be a graduate of an accredited program in order to be eligible. Also, a growing number of healthcare employers will only hire graduates of accredited programs, including some of the most desirable healthcare employers in the US, like the VA system and the US military. Certainly not all employers; not even most -- but why close off any future employment opportunities for yourself this early in the process?

The other "accreditation" concern when choosing a nursing program is the issue of general academic accreditation, as herasheis noted. Quite a few of the proprietary (private-for-profit) tech/voc "colleges" that offer nursing programs are not accredited by the same organizations that accredit "regular" colleges and universities. Because of that, courses/credits from these schools usually will not transfer for credit to other schools. If you are a graduate of one of these schools and want to return to school later on to further your nursing education, as many, many nurses do, you will not be able to get academic credit for the academic work already done.

None of this means that you wouldn't necessarily get an adequate nursing education at a program that wasn't appropriately accredited -- but you could be limiting your future professional and educational opportunities.